Rescue Me
by Sarahkw
Summary: Zoe Hart is lost and Wade Kinsella needs saving. Can they rescue each other? [ON HIATUS (writers block stinks)]
1. Chapter 1

**Writing a fan fic is probably the last thing I should be doing right now as busy as real life is, but as a southerner (and SEC football fan), Hart of Dixie has charmed me. I got this idea in my head and next thing I know, I've got this whole story mapped out in my head and I just HAD to write it. **

**It's inspired by the song "Rescue Me" by Frankie Ballard. YouTube it if you haven't heard it. I've always said it should be played in the background of a dramatic scene on TV and I think it fits Zoe and Wade perfectly. The line that set this story into motion is "I know that I can save you, if you can rescue me." Let me know what you think! **

**Things I Own: More shoes than Zoe Hart. Things I Don't Own: Hart of Dixie **

The air had gotten crisp as the sun had set and the breeze had picked up from the north, blowing in the closest thing to fall Bluebell had seen so far this October. He loved nights like this. Sometimes he'd sit on his rickety porch with a beer and his guitar, picking at strings and unwinding after a shift at the Rammer Jammer. Other nights, the cool air made him reckless and he'd go in search of a warm body, if not in Bluebell then in the next town over, a bit of a drive but usually worth it.

Tonight, he was sitting on his front porch in the dark, no guitar but plenty of beer. He could see the carriage house from his rusted out chair. Like his house, not a light was on. There was no sign of movement, no banging of the screen door or shriek over wildlife that had found its way inside. He didn't like how quiet it was, having grown used to having a neighbor.

The sound of gravel crunching in the distance broke the night's silence. He sat forward in his chair, waiting. Headlights appeared moments later, cutting through the dark night, but instead of stopping next door, turned towards him. With a sigh, he sat back and reached for another beer, bathed in the light of Lavon Hayes' expensive SUV. The engine cut, followed by the lights, and the darkness returned.

"You forgot your mail up at the house this morning, thought I'd bring it by on my way home," Lavon said, walking up the steps. He dropped a small stack of magazines and envelopes on top of Wade's beer cooler.

"You just wanted to come by and talk about your date with Didi," Wade replied.

"Well it was a good date." Lavon helped himself to a beer and took up residence in the other chair, this one even more rusted out than Wade's. "I reckon I might start thinking about taking her up to Mobile for a weekend, get away, have some alone time."

"Don't go gettin' ahead of yourself, Romeo. You just started seein' the woman." Lavon raised an eyebrow. He knew Wade wasn't sitting outside for the sake of enjoying the night air.

"You sittin' out here in the dark with a 12 pack of cheap beer, eyes trained on the carriage house, wouldn't have anything to do with a certain doctor's self-proclaimed 'hot date' now would it?" he asked.

"I'm just enjoying the weather. Hasn't been this cool out since the end of March."

"You lie."

"Dr. Hart is free to see whoever she wants which just so happens to be the town's brand spankin' new veterinarian," Wade replied. "The same brand spankin' new veterinarian no one around these parts knows anything about. As far as we know, he's a Craig's List killer from up north, using the small, unsuspecting town of Bluebell as his hideout." Wade played with his beer cap, spinning it on his finger tip before tossing it up in the air and catching it in the opposite hand.

"So you're being a gentleman, sittin' out here and makin' sure she gets home in one piece?"

"Somebody's got to. She ain't got no family around here and let's be honest, she's not in line to win any popularity contests neither. She could go missing for days before someone thought to go look for her." Lavon shook his head.

"Just ask the girl on a date," he advised. "Save yourself from sittin' here in the dark, spyin' on her like the fool you are." Wade stood up.

"I'm not interested," he said. "I'm just bein' neighborly. And now I'm goin' to bed." Lavon stood as well.

"Me and some of the fellas are watching the Bama/Tennessee game up at the house tomorrow. Come on by around 5:00. It's B.Y.O.B., but I'll have plenty of food to go around."

"I'm workin' tomorrow," Wade answered as he pulled open his screen door. "You know how busy football season is at the Rammer Jammer, especially when Bama and Tennessee play."

"As much as you work, I don't see why the boss wouldn't be willin' to give you an evening off," Lavon replied.

"Yeah, well, the boss ain't exactly easy to deal with," Wade said. "Night, Romeo." Lavon stood and made his way back to his car, shaking his head as he went. He would never quite understand Wade Kinsella and he had known the boy since he was in diapers.

Wade finished his beer and left the bottle on the counter of his small kitchenette. He took off his shirt, tossed it aside and made his way into his bedroom. He was about to fall into bed when another set of headlights flooded his room.

He watched through his window as Judson, the town vet, walked Zoe to her door. He rolled his eyes as they hugged and the vet planted a kiss right on her lips. Even from across the way, he could see the smile on Zoe's face, could practically see her falling for the animal doctor.

"Dumb ass," he muttered. He wasn't sure if he were talking to himself or the vet. Or even Zoe, for that matter. He waited until the car had pulled out of the driveway and Zoe had disappeared inside before he fell across the top of the covers. Thoughts of Zoe Hart's shorts and his plans to go fishing come morning lulled him to sleep. 

* * *

><p>"And then, we went to this really awesome Italian place. I mean, yeah, it was a bit of a drive, but it was nice, you know? We got to talk, get to know each other. Did you know he had a Wheaton Terrier named Hammy when he was six? I always wanted a dog when I was a kid but my mom wouldn't let me have one, said it would get in the way when she had parties at the house for her clients…"<p>

Lavon sighed and swigged his orange juice, half listening as Zoe went on and on about her date the night before. She had walked through the door fifteen minutes earlier, talking Judson this, Judson that, hadn't took so much as a breath to complain about the lackluster water pressure in the carriage house or even Burt Reynolds sleeping on her bottom porch step. She didn't let up when Wade walked in.

"Anyway, I had the best manicotti I've had in a really long time. And the breadsticks? They were to die for…"

"And then they came home and made out on the front porch of the carriage house," Wade interrupted. "Next time, tell the animal doctor to shut his headlights off. Damn things woke me up, lightin' up my bedroom like midday."

"You blew a fuse yesterday morning when I was halfway through curling my hair, we'll call it even," Zoe retorted before going back to her dating recap. "So the breadsticks were amazing. They were buttery and they had just the right amount of garlic and parmesan. I probably gained 10 pounds just breathing in the smell…"

"Zoe, Lavon Hayes might be your friend but he sure ain't your girlfriend and therefore does not care about the very fine details of your date," Lavon finally interrupted. He'd had enough. Zoe stopped talking and frowned at Lavon. Wade walked up behind him, a cart of milk in his hand.

"Me, I just don't care," he said before swigging right out of the carton.

"You're a pig," Zoe told him.

"It's 'bout empty anyway," he answered. He reached for an apple as two pieces of toast popped out of the toaster.

"If I can't talk to you about my date – the first good date I've had in a while – then who am I supposed to talk to about it?" Zoe asked. "It's not like I have girlfriends coming out of my ears down here."

"Little Rose done took quite a shine to you," Lavon answered. "I'm sure she'd listen."

"'Course you'll probably end up on her blog," Wade added, smothering his toast with butter. Grabbing another apple, he started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Lavon called after him. It wasn't like Wade not to stick around for a while, eating and maybe playing a few rounds of Madden before moving on to the rest of his day.

"Got things to do," Wade answered. "Places to go, people to see, fish to catch."

"My offer still stands about the game. Even Dr. Hart here is joining us."

"Yep, I'm bringing the wine," Zoe said, swiveling on her stool to face Wade. "I grew up a Penn State fan, but even I know the historical significance of the third Saturday in October."

"I'm working," he said again. "But y'all have fun." And with that, he disappeared outside. Zoe frowned and turned back  
>to Lavon.<p>

"What's with him?" she asked. "He wasn't all - 'Wade' - like he usually is."

"All 'Wade?'"

"You know, disgusting, inappropriate, that sort of thing. Although he did drink straight from the carton so he hasn't gone completely insane."

"Wade Kinsella is a complex man," Lavon answered. "Despite what he'd like us all to believe."

"Please," Zoe replied, slipping off her stool. "The only thing 'complex' about Wade is the layer of dirt under his fingernails." She quickly rinsed her dishes off and added them to the dishwasher. "White or red tonight?" she asked.

"Both," Lavon answered. "And make sure you bring enough to share. Rumor has it you sure do enjoy your wine." Zoe narrowed her eyes and Lavon laughed.

"I'll see you later," she said. She made an effort to exit the kitchen with her head held high, only to stumble over the door jam in her Wellies. Lavon laughed as she huffed and slammed the door. 

* * *

><p>She watched the screen of her iPhone as she walked back to her house from Lavon's football party, eager for it to chirp again as she and Judson planned their second date. It looked like he had plans to cook her dinner at his place and afterward they'd 'play it by ear.' All she was waiting on was a time to be there. She was glad no one was around to see how eagerly she opened his next message.<p>

"How does 6:30 sound?" she asked out loud. "Why Judson, 6:30 sounds like a date," she answered herself, typing back a simple 'yes.' She was so engrossed in her phone that she nearly stepped on Burt Reynolds who had taken to sleeping on her bottom porch steps most nights. She squealed, stumbling as she tried to maintain her balance.

"Burt!" she shrieked. "Go away!" The alligator looked at her but didn't move. "Shoo!" she said, backing away from the reptile. She didn't care what Lavon, Wade, George or anyone else said about how harmless the creature was. People simply didn't have alligators as pets. "Get!"

"Aw, come on, Doc," came Wade's voice. "He likes you. Let him sleep."

"I already share my bedroom with frogs, flies and rodents I haven't seen but that have left signs of their presence. I'll be damned if I'm sharing it with a crocodile too," Zoe told him.

"Gator," Wade corrected. "Burt's a gator." Zoe glared at him. He sighed. "Burt, get on out of here," he said, waving his hand to shoo away the alligator. Burt blinked twice then turned and slithered away. Zoe was sure she wasn't imaging the creature had an attitude.

"Stupid reptile," she mumbled before she turned to Wade. "And what are you doing home? Lavon said you were closing down the Rammer Jammer tonight."

"Slow night," Wade answered. "Turns out half the town was in the mayor's living room. We closed a little early."

"Bama won," Zoe told him. "By a lot."

"'Course they did. Half of Tennessee's starters are on the injured list and the ones that ain't are freshmen playing against the No. 2 team in the country. Nobody thought they'd win. But they did give the Tide hell for a half." Zoe looked at him with something like disbelief.

"You're a Tennessee fan," she stated. "Isn't that like, treason around here?"

"I'm not a Tennessee fan," Wade replied. "I don't even pay much attention to football."

"And yet you know Tennessee's injury report?"

"This is Alabama, Doc. You'd have to live under a rock to not know anything about football around here. All anyone could talk about when the season started was Tennessee's quarterback. Then he got hurt and that was all they could talk about. Now that Bama's spanked Tennessee for another year in a row, that'll be all they talk about – least until it's time for the next big game."

"Alabama and LSU," Zoe supplied. "The No. 2 team versus the No. 1 team. They're already talking about it. By the time Alabama had put up three scores on Tennessee, the whole room was speculating on what the spread will open up at."

"You know, you can talk circles around half the guys in this town when it comes to football," Wade commented. It was impressive, considering the fact she wandered Bluebell's dirt roads in $600 high heels.

"Yeah, well, like I said, I grew up a Penn State fan. My…," Zoe stopped suddenly, a look of sudden realization on her face. Wade noticed.

"My what?" he prompted. Zoe sighed. There was a hint of sadness behind it. He noticed that too.

"I was going to say my dad and I used to watch Penn State play on Saturdays. Then I realized – he's not my dad. I hadn't really said that out loud yet." Wade shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He wasn't good at this – trying to be understanding or supportive or whatever he was supposed to be in moments like this.

"It's a shame you didn't get to know Harley," he finally said. "He was a good guy. A real good guy." Zoe smiled sadly.

"Well," she said, "I had my chance. I just didn't take it until it was my last option."

"Funny thing about chances," Wade stated, looking off across the yard. "Some people jump at every chance they get. Others let them slip by. But I reckon it all turns out okay in the end." Zoe studied him.

"Since when are you a philosopher?" she asked. Wade chuckled.

"That's not philosophy, Doc. That's just life." Zoe continued to study him. He could see a flicker of curiosity behind her brown eyes. It made him uncomfortable, like she could see through him and was dangerously close to cracking his tough shell. He smiled softly. "Night, Dr. Hart," he said.

"Night, Wade."

He turned and walked back to his house, listening to the sound of Zoe climb the porch stairs and the screen door shut softly behind her.

**Since we don't know much about any of the character's backgrounds, especially Wade's, I've taken the chance to develop my own ideas of what they are which are most likely 100% different than what the show has in mind. **

**Also, I'll try my best to stay away from spoilers but may use upcoming events in the town or even new characters that will be introduced for my own writing pleasure – like Judson. **

**Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think and I'll update soon! **


	2. Bait A Hook

**WOW! Y'all blew me away with all the reviews and alerts! So kind of you, making me feel welcomed. Thank you, thank you, thank you! **

**This chapter - Judson, to be exact - was inspired by Justin Moore's song "Bait A Hook." It's such a cheesy song, but I find myself listening to it over and over. Since we know nothing about Judson's character, I decided to have fun and modeling him after the character in "Bait A Hook." You'll get more of him and Zoe next chapter. :) **

**Things I own: A shiny new iPhone 4s - Siri is my new BFF. Things I don't own: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>"Get me a big glass of anything you have on tap," George Tucker said, sliding onto a stool at the Rammer Jammer. Wade nodded and moments later, was sliding the town lawyer an ice cold beer.<p>

"Weddin' or the law?" he asked.

"Brick," George replied. "I think he just figured out I'm marrying his daughter."

"You know, I feel bad for you. Lemon as a wife, Brick as a father-in-law… That don't sound like happily ever after."

"Hey, now," George warned. Wade grinned.

"I'm just sayin,'" he said. George chuckled. He understood exactly what Wade was saying. He loved Lemon but there was no denying she was as high strung as they came. And Brick… was Brick.

The Rammer Jammer door opened and every head in the bar turned to see who was joining them. Whispering broke out instantaneously as Zoe Hart walked in, the new vet right behind her. She hopped up on the stool next to George.

"Water," she told Wade. "With ice and a lemon."

"No wine?"

"My week on call," Zoe answered, holding up her cell phone. Wade spared her a last glance then turned to the vet as he settled in next to Zoe.

"What'll it be?" he asked.

"Make it a Smirnoff Ice, grape if you have it," he answered.

Wade shook his head. "It's pretty much beer, whiskey or in Dr. Hart's case, boxed wine."

"I'll have what Zoe's having, then." Wade nodded and turned away. He caught George's eye and the two shared a smirk. He passed Zoe her glass of water first – seltzer, from the bottle he'd started keeping hand just for her – then slid another one to the veterinarian, his from the fountain like any other patron.

"You're the new vet in town, right?" he asked. "I'm sure the doc here is glad to have you around. She's no longer the talk of the town. Though give her a few days and I'm sure she'll do something to get herself back in the spotlight."

"Judson, this is Wade Kinsella," Zoe supplied, her tone dripping with annoyance.

"Oh! The power-stealing neighbor," Judson said in realization, extending his hand towards Wade. "I've heard a lot about you." Wade shook his hand, careful not to look at George.

"That'd be me," he confirmed. "I also have generic beer breath and a church social smile. But Doc probably told you that too though." Zoe raised her eyebrows in warning which only served to make Wade grin bigger.

"I'm George Tucker," George said, reaching across Zoe to shake Judson's hand.

"The lawyer," Judson replied. "Heard about you too. Make sure I get your business card in case I ever need some legal assistance." George nodded in agreement.

"So, we just had dinner at Fancies and decided we'd stop in for a night cap – or as much of a night cap as you can have when you're the doctor on call. I'm sure you two have better things to do than to sit here and listen to us continue our conversation about our respective lines of work." Both men knew Zoe was trying to get rid of them, but they weren't having it.

"So Judson, tell us about yourself," Wade said, ignoring Zoe. "What brought you to Bluebell?" Zoe looked at George for help in getting rid of Wade. George just shrugged.

"You sat down by me," he reminded her.

"The job brought me here," Judson answered. "I grew up in Kentucky, went to school in Virginia, been moving around ever since. I was a large animal vet in Louisiana for the last year or so until I came across the job opening here. I'd had enough of cows and wide open spaces so I decided to shift my focus back to the smaller critters – the cats and dogs, people's pets."

"Well we're certainly happy to have your expertise around these parts," Wade told him. "Old man Mobley retired six months ago. People been having to take their pets to the vet two towns over. 'Course, you might get the occasional alligator through your office in addition to those cats and dogs if you stick around Bluebell long enough."

"He's going to talk to Lavon, explain that keeping an alligator as a pet goes against the laws of nature. There's several alligator farms within a few hours' drive of here that would be willing to take Burt Reynolds. Lavon could even go visit him on the weekends if he wanted to," Zoe said. George and Wade looked at each other and laughed.

"Mayor Hayes' alligator isn't going anywhere," George told them. "Burt Reynolds is as free as any other alligator, he just happens to like Lavon's plantation so he hangs around. Probably because of the table scraps Lavon puts out for him."

"You're just gonna have to get used to steppin' over him on your way to the office," Wade told Zoe. He left to pour refills for a few men at the end of the bar who had been engaged in a heated debate over SEC expansion for the better part of the evening. When he came back, Judson was explaining the finer points of his green lifestyle to George. Zoe played with her phone, looking bored.

"It really makes a difference," he was saying. "It's as simple as unplugging your phone charger when you're not using it. Small changes in our everyday behavior go such a long way." George nodded as though he were in complete agreement. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to step into the restroom. Be right back, Zoe." He was barely through the door of the bathroom before Wade and George burst out laughing.

"What?" Zoe demanded, putting down her phone. "What's so funny?"

"You can't be serious?" Wade asked, still chuckling.

"I am quite serious. What is so damn funny? Judson is a perfectly nice guy and you two should be nice to him. He's new around here and I know better than anyone just how tough being the new person in town can be."

"Zoe, he can't even bait a hook," George told her. Zoe looked confused.

"What does a hook have to do with anything?"

"What kind of car does he drive?" Wade asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?

"What kind of car does he drive?" George asked again.

"A Prius." Zoe's answer was greeted with a round of fresh laughter. "I hate you both," she stated, realizing they were making fun of Judson for his lifestyle, much the same way people made fun of her for being from the city. Her phone rang. "It's Addie," she said. "I'm going to take this outside. I'll be back."

"So?" George asked Wade, nodding towards the bathroom door. Wade shook his head.

"I don't like him," he said. "Something ain't right about that guy. And I'm not just talking about his baby's bottom smooth hands." George nodded in agreement.

"Moving from town to town, bouncing from job to job... He's running from something."

"Or someone," Wade agreed. "Or maybe he, I don't know, threw a newspaper in the trash instead of recycling it and he's so ashamed he can't show his face around his old town." George laughed.

"Do you know he questioned me about whether or not the paper I use in my office is acid free?" he asked. "Apparently it's just not enough that I recycle. In fact, I should go entirely digital, according to him. I'd love to see Brick's face if I emailed him the next set of legal documents he asks for."

"I couldn't help but overhearing," came Tom's voice. "I have to ask - Is it the fact that there's something strange about the vet or the fact that he's dating Zoe Hart that you two don't like?" Wade and George glanced at each other.

"I reckon you done had about enough for one night," Wade said, snatching Tom's beer away from him.

"Hey!" Tom protested, trying to snag his beer back. Wade tossed it in the trash can.

"Come on, Tom, I'll drive you home," George said, standing. He put a couple bills down on the counter and dragged Tom towards the door. He nearly collided with Zoe as she came barreling back inside, mumbling an apology over her shoulder as she headed for the bar.

"Where's Judson?" she asked, snatching up her purse.

"Still in the bathroom," Wade answered. "Probably fixin' his hair."

"I've got to go. Jamie Murphy was dropped during a cheerleading stunt and it looks like she broke her arm. Her cheerleading coach is heading to the clinic with her now."

"I'll let him know, Doc."

"Thanks," she said before rushing out the door. A few more minutes passed before Judson returned.

"Where's Zoe?" he asked, sitting back down. Wade noticed him pocketing his phone.

"She got called over to the high school for an emergency. I'm sure you understand how that is, bein' a doctor and all yourself."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Emergencies are part of the job description." Judson said. "What about George? He was supposed to give me his business card before he took off."

"George – he'd had enough," Wade said. "He headed home to turn in for the evening, said he had an early morning ahead of him – something about having to look into acid free paper or self-recycling bins or something."

"Oh, well, I guess I should head home myself since Zoe will probably be a while," he said. "Not much of a point in hanging around here and I've got an early morning myself." He went to pull his wallet out to pay for their drinks but Wade held up his hand.

"They're on the house," he said. "Consider it a welcome to the town." Judson nodded.

"Thanks, Wayne."

Wade didn't bother to correct him, glad to be rid of him. He didn't like Judson one bit. And not just because he was dating Zoe Hart.

* * *

><p>Zoe dumped the package of spaghetti noodles into a big pot of boiling water and stood on her tiptoes to peer inside. She wasn't quite sure, but she thought she was on the right track. She nodded in confidence and settled on a stool, using her iPad to scroll through recent re-pins on Pinterest. She was admiring a bedroom done in corals and grays and considering how she could replicate it the carriage house when the fire alarm sounded.<p>

"No, no no, no no!" she exclaimed, jumping up from stool and knocking over her glass of wine in the process. She paused just long enough to move her iPad out of harm's way before turning her attention to the now smoking pan of ground beef on the stove.

"What are you doing?" Wade asked, entering the smoke-filled kitchen from outside.

"Cooking," Zoe said over the excessive ringing of the smoke alarm, stirring at the burger on the stove with one hand and fanning the smoke away with her other hand. Wade shook his head, reached over her to turn the stove's fan on and retrieved a broom from the pantry. He used it to fan the smoke away from the smoke detector and within a minute, the only sounds were of the food cooking on the stove and Zoe cursing under her breath.

"Move," he said, gently pushing Zoe aside. She watched in a huff as he cut down the stove's heat and expertly stirred the ground burger around the pan while checking the noodles. "Turn that eye down," he told Zoe, taking the burger off the stove to drain the grease. Zoe followed directions and then went to work mopping up her spilled wine. Wade settled onto a stool after he had the stovetop under control.

"Again, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Cooking," Zoe said again. "It was a slow day at the office so we closed a little early and I decided to work on my domestic skills seeing as I can't have Chinese food delivered to my door around here. Google told me spaghetti was a good place to start but clearly, Google doesn't know everything." She refilled her wine glass and since she was in the fridge and he'd saved her from burning down Lavon's kitchen, she got Wade a beer.

"Thanks," he said, taking it from her. "Who, exactly, were you planning on feeding tonight?"

"Well, you and Lavon. Although I have no idea where Lavon is."

"Lavon's got another date with Didi," Wade answered. "So it's just you and I, doc."

"Lovely," Zoe muttered. Wade grinned.

"Where's the vet?" he asked. "Or let me guess – you'd rather him not try your failed dinner?"

"Judson had to go back to Lousiana for the weekend to get the rest of his things. He had to get down here pretty quick to start work – which I totally empathize with. But if he were here, I'm sure he'd love my cooking. Or at least lie to me and say he did."

"It's technically 'our' cooking now, seeing as I saved it from ruin." Zoe gave him one of her annoyed looks which made him grin again.

"Where'd you learn to cook anyway?" she asked him. "You looked like you knew what you were doing."

"I work at the Rammer Jammer, doc. You pick up a thing or two when you're around food and cooks all day." He got up and checked the stove. "What are you planning on using for sauce?" Zoe retrieved a jar of Ragu from the pantry.

"This," she told him. "I couldn't decide which kind so I just closed my eyes and picked one." Wade took the jar.

"Tomato and basil flavored," he read. "Spaghetti sauce flavored with tomatoes. Imagine that."

"I'm new at this. Cut me some slack. I also bought garlic bread. It's in the freezer."

"Leave it there," Wade directed. He turned on the oven and set it to pre-heat. "Look in the pantry – I think there's a loaf of French bread in there. Get that out and slice it. I'll tell you what to do after that." Zoe did what he said, not quite believing she was taking orders from Wade or that he seemed to know what he was doing.

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting across from one another at the kitchen island, enjoying a salvaged meal of spaghetti and garlic bread.

"This isn't half bad," Zoe commented between mouthfuls.

"No thanks to you." Zoe shot Wade a dirty look but she couldn't argue. She would have been explaining to Lavon why his kitchen was in ruins had Wade not turned up. She tried not to think about the fact that Wade had a habit of turning up at just the right time.

"Seriously though, where'd you learn to cook? Last time I checked, spaghetti wasn't on the menu at the Rammer Jammer."

"It's spaghetti, doc. It's not hard. For most people, at least."

"I'll try again next week," Zoe stated, determination in her voice.

"I'm not working Wednesday. Make it then so I'll be around to save Lavon's kitchen in case of a fire."

"I'll make it any day but Wednesday," Zoe shot back. She stabbed her noodles and spun them around her fork, ignoring Wade's laugh. They fell into a comfortable silence for several minutes. Wade stood for a second helping and decided to ask the question that had been nagging at him since Zoe had announced she had a date with Judson.

"Doc, what do you really know about the vet?" he asked, hoping he sounded casual. Zoe eyed him.

"Why?"

"You don't think it's odd that he's moved around so much, dropped everything in Louisiana or wherever he came from to move down here and take care of cats?"

"Seeing as I dropped everything in New York to move down here and treat snake bites and poison ivy for the next year instead of spending my days doing open heart surgery, I don't think it's odd at all."

"That's different," Wade argued. "You moved down here to take over your father's practice. And because, at least according to you, you didn't have any other option."

"Why are you so concerned?" Zoe asked. "I don't question your string of one night stands so you don't get to question who I go on a dinner date with."

"I'm just looking out for you, Doc. Me and George both think there's something odd about the vet. I know you don't need my or anyone else's help, but this ain't New York City. We look out for our neighbors down here."

"I don't need anyone to look out for me. I never have. And I'm so glad you and George have nothing better to do than talk about my personal life." Wade opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Lavon and Didi returning from their date.

"Wade did some cooking, I see," Lavon said, helping Didi out of her light jacket.

"Who says Wade cooked?" Zoe demanded. "How do you know I didn't do all of this?"

"You know how to cook?" Didi asked, sounding surprised.

"Let's just say I saved your kitchen," Wade told Lavon. "You can thank me later."

"Wait, so Wade can cook?" Didi asked. "No offense, but that sounds even more unlikely than Dr. Hart in the kitchen."

"Wade is a man of many surprises," Lavon answered. "You should try his Uncle Moe's gumbo." Wade shot Lavon a warning look. As far as Zoe knew, Lavon had been the one to make the gumbo entered under her name and he wanted it to stay that way.

"What are you two doing back so early?" Zoe asked. "It's not even 7:00."

"Lavon had a little Mayor emergency come up that requires his attention," Didi answered. "We brought our dinner here so he can work it all out then we'll watch a movie or something." She held up a bag of carryout containers from Bluebell's best seafood restaurant.

"What's up?" Wade asked. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Well, you know how Rita Maddox was heading up the annual Halloween festival?" Wade nodded. "She had to take off to Baton Rouge unexpectedly – her daughter gave birth to her first child two months early so Rita understandably left to be with her which left me with a bit of a mess to sort out."

"So you need someone to fill in, take over the planning?" Zoe asked. Everyone in the room could see the wheels spinning in her head.

"Oh no," Lavon told her, pointing at her and shaking her head. "I don't think so."

"Come on, Lavon! Let me take over. My mother is a celebrity publicist. I know all about planning parties. Let me do this. I'm still trying to fit in around here. This is the perfect way."

"I don't know, Zoe. The kids in this town look forward to this every year…"

"And you're afraid I'll ruin it," Zoe finished. "No faith. None, whatsoever. And me, having faith in you all those years you were in the NFL – before I even knew you. This is the thanks I get."

"Oh let her do it, Lavon. It'll be good entertainment for the rest of us, watching Dr. Hart coordinate bobbin' for apples with the potato sack race," Wade said. If nothing else, it would keep her busy and away from Judson.

"I'll help her," Didi offered. "Be her co-chair or whatever."

"Yeah, Didi can help me!" Zoe said. "That's an excellent idea. She's new in town too. It'll be great for her to get involved. Come on, Lavon!" Lavon sighed. He'd been outnumbered.

"Fine," he relented.

"Yes!" Zoe exclaimed, pumping both fist in the air. She jumped up from the table and grabbed her iPad. "I'm going to get started right away. This will be the best Halloween festival Bluebell has ever seen." She headed for the door.

"Hey!" Wade called. "What about the dishes?"

"I cooked, you clean," Zoe told him.

"Now hang on just one second…" But Zoe was already out the door, leaving Wade with their dishes.

"Don't make me regret this!" Lavon called after her.

"You won't!" Zoe called back from somewhere in the yard.

"You already do," Wade stated, gathering he and Zoe's plates.

"I already do," Lavon confirmed.

* * *

><p><strong>What is Judson's deal? We shall see... More with him and Zoe next chapter. Also, I updated my profile if you want to check it out. :) <strong>

**THANK YOU FOR READING!**


	3. I'd Lie

**It took an act of Congress (not really, but you get it), a really good head start on the chapter Sunday night and an actual lunch break today for editing to get this update out, but it was worth it, I think**. **You'll get to know Judson a little better as well as some insight into Wade's head. Funny enough, I'd actually already written the part below where Zoe is called crazy before last night's episode, ha. **

**Thank you all so much for leaving me so much love with your reviews and story alerts. I'm trying to respond to all of them, but if I miss you or you have your PMs turned off, please know I truly appreciate and read all of y'all's feedback. **

**This chapter is inspired by Taylor Swift's "I'd Lie."  
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**Things I Own: An umbrella I need to find before the skies open up over Nashville tonight. Things I Don't Own: Hart of Dixie**

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><p>Zoe looked up and smiled as Judson returned from taking a phone call outside.<p>

"Never a dull moment in medicine, is there?" she asked him.

"What?" he replied, settling onto the couch beside her. "Oh, yeah. That was actually an old rancher who's cattle I used to take care of. He'd forgotten I'd left town. He peered the screen of Zoe's laptop. "You're still re-arranging that thing?"

"It has to be perfect," Zoe told him, dragging small squares and rectangles around on her screen. "If I can pull this off, if I can make this Halloween festival the best Bluebell has ever seen, then these people may finally start to give me a chance."

"You worry too much about what the people around here think," Judson commented.

"They're my patients," Zoe told him, almost defensively. "Or I guess most of them are Brick's patients, but with a little bit of luck, a whole lot of sucking up and a perfectly, strategically arranged festival of booths, games and lots of candy, I might just win a few of them over."

"Why does it matter so much to you?" Judson asked. "Aren't you only here for a year?"

"Well, I mean, in theory," Zoe answered. "But I learned from experience that making plans only goes so far. You make plans and God laughs or whatever that saying is and you end up in the great state of Alabama. I'm not counting on anything."

"You aren't thinking about sticking around here, are you?" Judson asked. "I mean, if I were only planning to be here a year, I certainly wouldn't be spending my Thursday night arranging and re-arranging where the cornhole tournament should go."

"It's complicated. I have to bring in a certain amount of the patients or I'll lose the practice. And to get patients, I have to fit in, assimilate to the community or whatever." Zoe looked at him. "And as someone else who is also new in town, you would do well to get involved with this. It's going to be the party of the year."

"Seeing as I'm the only vet in town, I've got a corner on the market. People have to bring their pets to me unless they want to drive 45 minutes or so to the next closest animal hospital. They can like me or not, I really don't care. As long as I take care of their pets, they'll keep coming."

"So blasé," Zoe commented, turning her attention back to her computer. "What is cornhole, anyway?"

"Basically, people throw bean bags at pieces of wood with holes in them."

"Huh. So I guess I need some sort of equipment for that?"

"Well, yeah. Cornhole boards and bean bags." He watched as Zoe opened up a spreadsheet on her computer and added a line underneath 'cornhole tournament' that said 'boards and bean bags.' Next to that, she typed in 'Wade.' "You sure have Wade helping you out a lot." He'd only met the guy once, but had a strong dislike for him. He didn't care for George either, but as he was the only lawyer in town, he couldn't risk crossing him in case he was ever in need of legal assistance.

"Trust me when I say it's completely against his will," Zoe said. "Half of this is stuff I asked Lavon to do and he put off on Wade so I'm not entirely guilty. Besides, Wade is one of the only people around here who will give me the time of day. And seeing as you're going to be out of town – again – I've got to take whatever help I can get."

"Zoe, I already told you, I can't miss my grandma's birthday. She's going to be 90. She doesn't have many of these left."

"I know," Zoe answered. "And I wouldn't want you to. It's just that we've been dating a month and you've been out of town on long weekends every single one of them. I'm looking forward to the first time we're in the same town for the same weekend and neither of us have to set foot in a medical office, animal, human, or otherwise. All this grabbing a few stolen minutes after long days at the office and calling it a night early so we can get in bed at a decent time is getting old."

"Soon, Zoe, soon," Judson said, squeezing her again.

"Soon as in next weekend?" Zoe asked hopefully.

"Quite possibly," he nodded.

"I'll make it worth your while," Zoe teased. Judson reached out and shut the top of her laptop.

"How about a preview?" he asked, leaning in for a kiss.

"I like previews," Zoe replied just before Judson's lips landed on hers.

* * *

><p>Wade jumped at the sound of footsteps, spilling the cereal he'd been pouring all over the kitchen counter.<p>

"What's got you so hot in the heels?" Lavon asked, coming in from outside.

"I'm hidin,'" Wade told him.

"From Zoe?" Lavon guessed. He poured his own bowl of cereal and took the carton of milk Wade offered him.

"She's crazy," Wade informed him. "Completely crazy. And I blame you."

"Me? What do I have to do with anything?"

"You told her she could plan this damn festival. Which, by the way, has gone from a friendly backyard gathering to a Halloween Extravaganza. Her words, not mine."

"If I remember correctly, you were the one sitting right where you are now saying 'let her do it, Lavon.'"

"That was before I knew she was crazy." Lavon laughed.

"She is aiming mighty high," he conceded. "Didi spent 30 minutes fussing about Zoe and her festival last night. Something about a hay bale maze."

"Ah yes. The hay bale maze. If she brings me one more drawin' of what she thinks it should look like, I swear I'll throw in the pond and hope Burt Reynolds' alligator friends are hungry."

"And then you'd jump right in behind her and save her," Lavon told him. Wade shook his head.

"You think I'm jokin,'" he said.

"Boy, Lavon Hayes knows better than anyone that you don't do a thing you don't want to do. Zoe has you wrapped around her tiny little manicured finger and you don't mind one bit." Wade opened his mouth to argue. "Don't," Lavon cut him off. "Lavon Hayes knows what he knows."

"You were a lot more likeable when you were single," Wade shot back. The door opened and closed and Wade didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He groaned and Lavon grinned.

"Morning," Zoe greeted them, helping herself to a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Dr. Hart," Lavon replied. Wade shoved a heaping spoon of cereal in his mouth and didn't say a word, even when Zoe sat down next to him at the kitchen island. "How's the Halloween festival coming?"

"Halloween Extravaganza," Zoe corrected. "It's going to be amazing. I've got cornhole. I've got bobbing for apples. Sack races, pin the tail on the donkey, dart toss, candy, a hay bale maze, face painting, a costume contest, a pumpkin carving contest, even a petting zoo. This will be the best Halloween Bluebell has ever seen."

"Or the most expensive," Lavon commented. "You've got a budget, remember?" Zoe waved a hand.

"Not a problem," she said. "I've hardly spent any of it. Turns out, if you ask nice enough, people are willing to help you out. Or at least cut you a good deal. Speaking of… What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"

"Going up to Mobile with Didi to get all the things you've assigned her to pick up for this Halloween show of yours that you can't get around here," Lavon answered. He didn't look altogether pleased about his Saturday plans.

"I'm busy," Wade answered.

"Doing what?"

"I don't know yet. But I'm gonna find something. Or someone." Zoe scoffed at him.

"What do you need, Zoe?" Lavon asked.

"The Saunders Orchard over in Mayfield? They're willing to donate a bunch of pumpkins for the festival. Rose knew someone who knew someone… Anyway, I need someone to pick them up tomorrow morning."

"Definitely busy," Wade said.

"Yeah, busy getting my pumpkins," Zoe told him. His mistake had been revealing he didn't have actuall plans for tomorrow, just intentions. Wade shook his head.

"I'm goin' on strike," he told her. "I'm not so much as thinking about Halloween until Sunday which you've designated as set up day. I'm going to enjoy a weekend free of any and all things Halloween. Unless a slutty nurse walks into the Rammer Jammer. Then I may reconsider my stance."

"Come on, Wade. It'll just take a couple of hours."

"I am not spendin' my Saturday drivin' almost an hour one way for a bunch of pumpkins. You done gave me enough to do without drivin' all over south Alabama." He stood up and took his bowl to the sink. "Where's your boyfriend? Why can't he do it?"

"Judson isn't my boyfriend – at least not yet. We're just dating, getting to know each other. Not I need to explain that to you. And he left this morning. He had to go back to Louisiana this weekend for his grandmother's 90th birthday. He won't be back until Tuesday."

"Out of town again – imagine that," Wade commented. Zoe didn't hear him.

"Zoe, just take the truck," Lavon said. "Wade'll make sure it's got gas in it. It's not much to look at since it's the plantation work truck, but it'll get you where you need to go. I'm sure someone over at Saunders will help you load it when you get there then you can just pay one of these teenagers around here twenty bucks and they'll help you unload."

"But I don't know where it's at," Zoe said.

"It's not hard. Just go north on the highway until you see the big sign for Saunder's Orchard then turn left. If you make it to Mobile, you went too far," Lavon told her. "But if you're worried about getting lost, I'll even throw in my GPS."

"So you're just going to send me all by myself in a beat up pickup truck? I thought southern men were supposed to be chivalrous or whatever." Zoe crossed her arms, irritated that her plan wasn't working for her. A thought struck Wade. He fixed his gaze on her, leaning casually on the counter.

"You don't know how to drive," he stated.

"I do so know how to drive," Zoe bit back. Wade grinned and shook his head.

"No, you don't. Otherwise, you'd have a car instead of traipsing up and down these dirt roads day in and day out in your high heels and beginnin' for rides from me and Lavon. Havin' a car is kind of necessary around here – the public transportation system isn't up to crack."

"Or non-existent," Zoe shot back.

"Hence the need for a car. And in your case, the know how to drive it."

"Zoe Hart can't drive," Lavon said, grinning. "I think Wade might be right."

"I grew up in New York! We don't need to drive!" Zoe exclaimed. The two men laughed at her dilemma. "You know what? George Tucker has a truck. I'll ask him. I'll have to deal with Lemon's psycho Daisy Mae wrath and give Brick one more reason to hate me, but at least I'll have some damn pumpkins!" She turned to storm out of the kitchen. She was halfway out the door when Wade called after her.

"Fine!" he said. "I'll go get the pumpkins. But you're comin' with me. And buyin' lunch!" Zoe stopped on the porch and turned.

"Really?" she asked. She was trying not to look too hopeful.

"Apparently."

Zoe smiled. "Thanks, Wade," she said. She turned and headed back to her carriage house. Wade sighed and turned to face Lavon who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"If I'd have known all it took to get you to agree to something was to threaten to ask George Tucker, I wouldn't have had to hire professional painters to paint the house last spring," he said.

"Shut up and pick up a controller so I can kick your ass at this game right quick," Wade told him, turning on the TV and Xbox. Lavon laughed and grabbed his controller.

* * *

><p>It was nearing 3AM when he locked the doors of the Rammer Jammer. It had been busy, even for a Saturday night, the busiest night of the week. Alabama football was on a bye week, but that just meant people could pay attention to other matchups and it seemed like half the town had congregated at the Rammer Jammer to watch the AuburnOle Miss game.

All he wanted to do was climb in his car, drive home, pull the covers over his head and sleep until noon, at least. Instead, he crossed the road to the town square where Zoe was sitting on the ground amongst a sea of hay bales and pumpkins.

"You still at it?" he asked, sitting down on a hay bale near Zoe.

"Last one," she answered. She looked as exhausted as he felt. They had gotten up early – or at least early for them on a Saturday – to pick up the donated pumpkins, stopping on the way back for lunch at a burger dive Wade knew of. He'd been surprised to see Zoe devour a burger nearly as big as her, but he'd learned within Zoe's first week in Bluebell that she was full of surprises. By the time he'd helped her unload, it was time for his shift. She'd been out there working ever since, stopping just long enough to come inside for a quick dinner.

"I thought Rose was out here helping you," he said, looking around for the girl who followed Zoe around like a puppy dog.

"She was. I sent her home a couple hours ago. She's not as skilled at staying awake for long periods of time as I am." Wade noticed the empty coffee cups and a discarded 5 Hour Energy nearby, but it looked like the caffeine was wearing off.

"I'm impressed, though, doc. You had to have carved at least 50 pumpkins tonight."

"55," Zoe corrected. "Trust me."

"How'd you get through 'em so fast?" he asked.

"The Tark twins? Turns out they're good for something besides finding every patch of poison oak in Bluebell. I saw them giving their mom a hard time while she was trying to shop so I did the neighborly thing and asked them if they wanted to help. All I had to do was cut the tops open. They gutted these things in record time. Rose got a few friends to help with the carving, at least until the football game came on."

"Look at you, bondin' with the town folk," Wade teased.

"Whatever it takes," she answered. He watched her as she carefully removed the stencil she'd been tracing onto the pumpkin as they talked. Of course Zoe couldn't just carve a simple face. Every pumpkin had an intricate design – a haunted house, a witch with a cauldron, black cats walking along fences. None of them were lit yet, but he knew they would be impressive when she finally put a candle in them. She bit her lip in concentration as she worked a small saw into the pumpkin's flesh and started following the lines she'd created.

She was beautiful. Her dark eyes, so full of exhaustion, were focused, the small tool in her hand maneuvering expertly, no doubt due to her training as a surgeon. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and she was so engrossed in her work she didn't notice his staring.

He hadn't meant to fall for Zoe Hart. He hadn't really admitted to himself that he had. But he felt an overwhelming urge to protect her, shield her from whatever he could, whether that was harmless pet alligators, burnt spaghetti or veterinarians who raised his suspicions. He found himself coming up with excuses to see her, whether it was waiting to fix the fuse box until she'd turned up to fix it herself or planning his meal times around when she was most likely to be in Lavon's kitchen. He was sure no one had ever been happier to need stiches as he had been the night he'd gotten caught up in his own thoughts and forgotten about the jagged fence behind the Rammer Jammer.

He was no fool though. He and Zoe were from two different worlds. She wasn't even planning to stick around. He couldn't deny the tiniest shred of hope he had that she might change her mind when her year was up, but it was hard to doubt that she wouldn't jump at the chance to take off New York or some other big city the moment she was offered a fellowship. It seemed like Bluebell was growing on her, but she was a city girl at heart and there was no denying that.

Besides, he'd promised himself a long time ago he wouldn't go there. He wasn't a relationship guy. He could never be half of a George and Lemon. It just wasn't in him. He was attracted to Zoe, but it couldn't go past that. He had realized that the night the heat wave broke as she stood on his porch, getting soaked as she softly told him she wasn't that kind of girl. It had pained him to accept it, watch her walk across the yard to her house and away from him, but if things had gone too far, she would have woken up the next morning full of regret. He'd rather want her from afar than run the risk of losing her.

"Done," Zoe stated. She held up the pumpkin to admire her work. It was one of the more simple ones, a ghost floating through a night sky, but it looked as good as the others. Wade clapped.

"Bravo, Doc," he said.

"What are you still doing here anyway?" she asked, stifling a yawn. "I figured you'd go home and pass out after so much physical exertion today."

"My stamina is quite impressive," Wade told her with a smirk. He wouldn't act on his desires, but he couldn't resist teasingher just a little. Zoe just rolled her eyes. "Besides, I couldn't let a pretty girl walk home." Zoe was too tired to banter with him. He helped her clean up and when the last of her coffee cups and pumpkin guts were gone, she looked around.

"Think all of this will be okay sitting out here?" she asked. "I asked the officer on patrol to keep an eye on it, but…"

"This is Bluebell, Doc. No one is going to mess with your pumpkins and hay bales, especially not when they know they're for a town event."

"You sure? Teenagers get rebellious…"

"They'll be fine," Wade confirmed. And he didn't doubt it. He'd seen the officer's patrol car cruise by several times through the window of the Rammer Jammer and once since he'd been sitting with Zoe, but even that was unnecessary. It just wasn't something to worry about in Bluebell. "Come on," he said. "I've got to spend most of my Sunday making these hay bales into a maze. I'd like to get some sleep before then."

Zoe followed him to his car and got in as he held the door. She'd gotten used to that – the men around town seemed to have it ingrained in their very souls not to let a woman open a door or pull out a chair for herself if they could help it. It was nice, a definite change from the men she'd known in New York.

The short drive back to the plantation was a quiet one, both too tired to carry a conversation. Wade slowed to a stop in front of Zoe's and realized she had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. He took a moment to take in her sleeping form before reaching over and gently brushing her hair out of her face.

"Doc?" he said. "Time to wake up." Zoe stirred almost right away, not having the time to fall into a deep enough sleep. She blinked a few times, finding her bearings.

"Thanks for the ride," she told him as she opened the door. "And for helping me earlier."

"No problem," he told her. "Thanks for lunch." She gave him a tired smile as she shut the door. He waited until she was safely inside before turning towards his own place.

**Thanks so much for** **reading! ****Look for the next update this coming weekend ****- lots more on Judson and Wade, not to mention Zoe's 'Halloween Extravaganza!' **


	4. Small Town, Big Time

**Thank you all for all of your kind comments and reviews - I so appreciate them! Real life was busy, between my big girl marketing job and my freelance gig since it was a big week in my industry and so I didn't get a chance to work on this often. I'm already working on the next update so stay tuned!**

**This chapter was interesting to write. I consider it a bit of a turning point - it sets a lot of things in motion or at the very least, makes you think about things (or makes Zoe think about things...) The chapter title comes from the Chris Young song "Small Town, Big Time."  
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**THINKS I OWN: A crockpot that I made the BEST mac and cheese in earlier. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

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><p>Wade looked up as the bell over the Rammer Jammer chimed, announcing another customer. He nodded towards a table for two in a back corner, then tossed the rag he'd been drying glasses with aside and grabbed a couple of beers.<p>

"Here," he said, sliding the bottle across the table as he sat down.

"Thanks," George answered, catching the bottle with one hand while pulling papers out of a briefcase with the other. He set a file on the table between them.

"So?" Wade asked. George sighed and he knew what that meant. They'd had this same conversation every few months like clockwork. He cursed.

"You're going to have to contest it," George told him. "I know that's not ideal, but at this point, you're out of options. I can start the paperwork as soon as tomorrow morning, but it's still going to take some time." Wade rubbed his hands over his face.

"Alright," he agreed. "In the meantime, send those back, maybe we'll get lucky this time."

"You haven't been lucky since before I came back from New York," George reminded him. "But I'll send them back." He reached into his briefcase and pulled out another folder. "Now, the more interesting part of our meeting."

"What'd you find out?" Wade asked, leaning forward.

"First of all, you realize Zoe will kill us if she finds out what we're doing?"

"She's five feet tall and weighs next to nothing. I think we can handle her," Wade said. George glanced around as if expecting Zoe to come barging through the door at any minute. Given that it was Halloween and she was wound tighter than ever over the festival, it wasn't unlikely.

"Take a look at this," George said, opening the manila folder and sliding it across the table. "I used up several favors to get this, but no one by the name of 'Judson Lyons' has ever attended Virginia Tech's veterinary school – or any other vet school that I could find." Wade frowned, reading the documents in front of him.

"So either he's not a vet or he's a vet with a fake name." George nodded in agreement while Wade continued to read. "There's nothing here," he said after skimming the few pieces of paper in the folder. "Not even a former address."

"Exactly," George confirmed. "Judson Lyons – at least the one that currently resides in Bluebell, Alabama – doesn't have a paper trail of any kind."

The two looked at each other, both minds trying to put together all of the many missing pieces concerning the town vet. They had decided the day after they met Judson to do some digging, both of them sure there was something amiss about him. George had called in some favors while Wade's job was to keep an eye on Zoe and in turn, Judson. He had spied Judson outside of Zoe's just a few days earlier, arguing with someone on the phone. He'd managed to slip close enough to learn that Judson owed someone money – and a lot of it. It hadn't surprised him to learn from Zoe that Judson had taken off for another long weekend the next day.

"What do we do?" Wade asked. George shook his head.

"Nothing for now," he said. "We don't have enough to go on to prove anything at this point. I've got a couple of guys working on it, but until they come up with something solid, all we can do is keep an eye on him."

"And watch the doc like a hawk," Wade agreed. His mind was already racing ahead. He knew Judson and Zoe spent a lot of time at Zoe's in the evenings, most of which he worked. It made him uncomfortable that Zoe would be entirely alone with Judson.

"Speaking of Zoe – what's going on between the two of you?" George asked.

"That seems to be everybody's favorite question today," Wade commented. Shelley had asked him the same thing earlier.

"The town is talking, you know. Dr. Lyons goes out of town, you two spend almost the entire weekend together…"

"Despite what the town may think, spending the weekend with Dr. Hart has not been for pleasure. That hay bale maze set up in the Town Square? It almost cost Doc her life last night – at my hands." And it had. He'd been frustrated with Zoe before, but yesterday, he'd had to walk away to keep himself from taking his frustration out on her. She had been micromanaging his every move as he'd worked on first one Halloween project then another, changing her mind every few minutes. It was getting late, he hadn't slept much and he'd had enough. He'd expected to go toe-to-toe with her when he'd returned but instead, she'd taken a deep breath, apologized, and let him work in relative peace.

"I don't doubt it," George said. "She's barged in my office in search of Didi a few times in the last week. Didi hid in the bathroom at one point and made me tell Zoe she hadn't come back from lunch yet." He started gathering his files. "I'd better get going. I've got to help Lemon bring a bunch of cakes or something over to the festival for the Belles Booth." They both stood.

"Thanks," Wade told him sincerely. George studied him for a moment before nodding.

"I'll keep you posted," he said. "On both accounts. You keep an eye on Zoe." The two bumped fists and George departed. Wade went back behind the counter, his thoughts heavy.

* * *

><p>Somehow, by some gigantic miracle, she had pulled it off. She, Dr. Zoe Hart, had pulled it off. Granted, a lot of it had been done already. Rita Maddox had been doing an excellent job of planning and coordinating. Zoe only had to pick up where she left off – and put her own personal twist on it. In just over a week, running on little sleep and even less patience, she had managed to put together an incredible Halloween festival-turned-extravaganza that all of Bluebell had turned out for.<p>

Everywhere she looked, kids were playing games, trick-or-treating at the many booths set up or visiting the petting zoo. Their parents looked equally as happy, keeping an eye on their little ones while gossiping with neighbors and stealing candy from their kids' trick-or-treat sacks. People had even cheered for her, given her a round of applause, when she'd made a short speech at the start of the festival, welcoming them all. Even Lemon Breeland had begrudgingly told her she'd done a good job and if that wasn't a victory, Zoe didn't know what was.

"Dr. Hart, Lavon Hayes is impressed," Lavon said, coming up beside her. "Not only did you pull it off, for the first time in years, it looks like you'll come in under budget and that makes the Mayor very happy."

"I couldn't have done it without Didi," she answered. And you, of course. And Wade." Zoe looked across the town square to where Wade was playing cornhole with a few guys she'd seen him hang out with around town. "Especially without Wade," she admitted.

"He's a good guy," Lavon said, following her gaze. "A complicated guy, but a good guy." He patted Zoe on the shoulder and headed off to mingle like any good Mayor was expected to do. As soon as Lavon had departed, Zoe was commandeered by Elsie Hall, a sweet older lady she had met a few times. She smiled politely as Elsie gushed about how wonderful the festival was and even how nice Zoe looked. She glanced at Wade over Elsie's shoulder, drinking a soda as he waited for his teammate to take his turn.

That was the second time Lavon had told her Wade was complicated. Curiosity nagged at her as she was greeted by festival goer after festival goer, telling her how much fun they were having or else congratulating her on a job well done. Two of them had even mentioned needing to make an appointment with her to have one ailment or the other checked out. She kept catching glances of Wade as she worked the crowd. Usually he was with a group of friends, but she had seen him talking to both Lavon and George at one point. She'd decided she'd imagined the wave of jealousy that reared up when she saw him talking to Claudia, well known around Bluebell for her promiscuity, something Zoe knew first hand to be the truth as she had treated her for it.

She realized for the first time that she didn't know Wade's story. She knew his father was the town drunk and that he worked at the Rammer Jammer, that he had a penchant for loud music and spent an awful lot of time fishing. She also knew he had a tendency to turn up at just the right time, whether she knew she needed help or not, and that he could turn just about any conversation into one of sexual innuendo with the turn of a phrase.

But that was all she knew about him. She knew Lavon's life story, not just the parts that she'd learned over the years of being a fan, but that he broke his arm when he was 7 and trying to run away from his grandmother who was set on taking a keen switch to the back of his legs after he threw a baseball in the house and broke several pieces of her china. She even knew more about George than she did about Wade and he didn't live just across the yard from her.

"You really pulled it off, Dr. Hart," said Addie. "My boys are having just the best time. So is my husband, for that matter. He hasn't stopped playing cornhole since he got here." Zoe looked over to the cornhole tournament again which had somehow become the gathering place for all the men in Bluebell. Sure enough, Sheriff Bill, uniform, gun belt and all, was heckling Ray Thompson as he took his turn.

"Thanks, Addie," Zoe said, meaning it. "And thank you for putting up with me this week. I know I was a little difficult."

"No more so than any other week," she said. Zoe gave her a guilty grin. "Look at that fool." Zoe looked on with Addie as Sheriff Bill did a victory dance, hands in the air and all. Wade was among the onlookers. He caught Zoe's eye and winked, giving her a grin. Zoe averted her eyes and tried to hide the small face playing at her lips.

"That boy is plum crazy about you," Addie said, catching every moment of Zoe and Wade's interaction.

"What, Wade? No," Zoe said, shaking her head. "It's mating rituals he's interested in. And besides, I'm dating Judson."

"So the flush in your cheeks has nothing to do with that grin the boy just gave you?" Addie asked knowingly. Zoe instinctively put her hands on her cheeks.

"I'm not blushing," she stated. "I'm – chilly." Addie shook her head, knowing there was no point in arguing with Zoe.

"Speaking of Dr. Lyons, you tell him it would do him good to actually be in his office from time to time. Old Miss Whittaker? She took her cat down to see him, something about hairballs, and his office was locked up tight in the middle of the day."

"He's been trying to get settled," Zoe defended. "Having moved here abruptly myself, I sympathize."

"There's something funny about that man," Addie said. She pointed at Zoe. "You watch yourself, Dr. Hart. Zander! Don't you dare!" Addie left Zoe's side in a hurry to stop her son from pushing his little brother into the bobbing for apples barrel. Zoe wondered why it was so hard for everyone around Bluebell to give an outsider a chance.

* * *

><p>It was like he had radar. He wasn't intentionally looking for Zoe but every time he wasn't wrapped up in a conversation or playing cornhole, his eyes fell on her. She was glowing, as far as he was concerned. The festival had gone off flawlessly. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have his concerns. While things had seemed on track, they usually veered off drastically where Zoe was concerned. She needed this and it was worth the sleepless nights and ridiculous errands to make sure it happened.<p>

He watched her talking to Addie and couldn't help but grin at her when she caught him looking. He winked at her and while she turned her head quickly, he didn't miss the blush of pink that colored her cheeks. He didn't doubt his own colored just a little. She had that effect on him.

"So the rumors are true," came an all too familiar voice. "Wade Kinsella has fallen for the new doctor in town." Wade sighed and turned to face the tall, pretty blonde.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Annabeth called me the other day, said my baby brother was hung up on the new doctor in town. I had to see it for myself. I thought for sure she was pulling my leg but judging by what I just saw – and what everyone's been telling me – she's right on the money."

"Seriously, what are you doing here?" he asked again.

"We brought the kids down to see daddy and do some trick-or-treating," his sister answered. "You'd know that if you ever answered your phone."

"Been busy," he said. He took a long swig of his soda. He wouldn't have complained if it was something a little stronger. "But that's usually your excuse, ain't it?"

"Don't," she warned him.

"Tomorrow's the first," he told her. "Daddy gets his check. But you can't be bothered with all that, can you?" There was venom in his voice but if it affected her, she didn't show it.

"You know my life is in Mobile," she told him.

"And you family is here. Or at least what's left of it."

"I could argue that your family is in Mobile," she shot back. "The door swings both ways, Wade."

"Bluebell is home. Regardless of what you tell people." She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't going to do this today, not with her kids playing nearby and not in public for all of Bluebell to hear. Not that Bluebell wasn't already well-versed in the ways of the Kinsella family, particularly the younger two who got on as well as a cat in water.

"Come up to Mobile for Thanksgiving," she told him. "The kids would love to see you. And bring Daddy. It might do him some good to get out of this place for a change."

"I'll be staying in Bluebell but I won't stop Earl if he wants to come up there."

"And celebrating with who? It's a family holiday, Wade." Wade just shrugged. He wasn't much on holidays, especially the ones that emphasized family. Last year, he'd spent Thanksgiving on the Gulf, fishing, drinking and chasing skirts. He wasn't opposed to doing that again this year though he found himself wondering what Zoe Hart's plans might be. Likely, she'd be heading to New York.

"I don't know why you don't just have Daddy committed," she said. "He can't take care of himself. Have you been inside the house lately? It's disgusting. He had a week of dishes in the sink, easy. And it smells to high heaven."

"Because that's not what Momma would have wanted," Wade told her pointedly. He saw Zoe, looking at him with an expression somewhere between curiosity and disgust. He wondered if it were possible that she was the least bit jealous. He wouldn't be the one to correct her if she was.

"What Momma would have wanted…" He didn't get to find out what Momma would have wanted, however. She was interrupted by a man rushing up to her with a screaming little girl, dragging a small boy along behind him by the hand.

"She fell," he said. "Tripped over a crack in the asphalt. Her knee is skinned up pretty bad." He watched as his sister bent to look at his niece's knee. His brother-in-law was right – it was skinned up pretty badly. He exchanged a polite nod of the head with the brother-in-law before reaching to pick up the little boy, dressed as a cowboy.

"Hi, Uncle Wade!" he said happily. Wade smiled at him.

"Hey, cowboy," he replied. He looked around for Zoe and spied her talking to George and a somewhat disgusted looking Lemon, Rose hovering at her elbow. "Doc! Got a patient for you!" he called to her. Her eyes fell on the crying girl and she quickly made her way over to them.

"I'm Dr. Hart," she said, brushing past Wade. "What happened?"

"She skinned her knee up pretty bad. Nothing serious, but it does need a good cleaning," the man holding the crying girl answered.

"Let's take her to my office and I'll get it cleaned up for her. It's just up the street there," Zoe said, nodding at the big blue building in the distance. The group started towards the building.

"Wade? Aren't you going to introduce me?" the woman asked. Wade rolled his eyes but obliged.

"Doc, this is my sister, Meredith," he said. "And her husband, Eric. The fairy with the skinned up knee and crocodile tears is my niece McKenzie and this here cowboy is my nephew, Jacob."

"Nice to meet you," Meredith said, extending her hand. Zoe shook it as well as the awkwardly offered hand of Eric as he juggled a still crying McKenzie in his arms.

"Sister?" Zoe asked Wade softly. Wade didn't reply. The complications of Wade Kinsella were starting to become a little clearer. She led the way up the stairs and unlocked the office. She turned on the lights and directed the family to the exam room. Wade took up a seat in the waiting room, engrossed in a conversation with his nephew over what seemed to be trucks and trains.

Treating a simple skinned knee should have been easy. If it weren't a four year old, it would have been. But McKenzie had no interest in her bloodied knee being cleaned, her tights ripped and her fairy wings askew on her back. She fought Zoe, kicking and screaming, arms flailing. Her parents made excellent attempts to hold her down, but she wriggled free each time. If she wasn't trying to treat her, Zoe would have been impressed with the girl's moxie.

"Mac, what's going on?" Wade said, entering the room. The girl stopped squirming long enough to look at Wade. Zoe ceased her opportunity and made to swipe her knee with antiseptic. She had barely made contact before McKenzie was once again in a fully involved fight for her knee to remain untouched.

"Y'all go sit in the waitin' room with Jake," Wade told his sister and Eric. "You're just makin' it worse. " Eric didn't argue, glad for the reprieve. Meredith opened her mouth to protest but Wade just jerked his head toward the door.

"She'll be fine," Zoe promised over the girl's screaming. Meredith nodded and left the room. Wade approached McKenzie.

"You still watch that show about the girl who does all the explorin'?" he asked, leaning on the exam table. McKenzie looked at him warily but nodded. Zoe resisted the temptation to try cleaning her wound again, waiting to see if Wade could actually manage to calm her down. "She's got what – a pet bear that goes with her?" he asked.

"Monkey," McKenzie answered quietly.

"That's right. It's a monkey. What's its name again?"

Zoe waited for several minutes, listening as Wade discussed Dora the Explorer with the girl. He had clearly missed quite a few episodes as McKenzie spent a lot of time correcting everything from Dora's pet to what kind of bag she carried. Zoe wasn't all together surprised that Wade knew the show's bad guy was a fox named Swiper. That seemed like the sort of thing Wade would remember. When McKenzie was fully involved with telling Wade about the recent Halloween episode she'd been allowed to stay up past her bedtime to watch, Zoe went to work cleaning up her knee.

"All done," she announced a few minutes later, the area, though bruised and puffy, no longer covered in blood and the wound itself clean.

"Here that, Mac? Dr. Hart here done fixed you right up," Wade said. "That won't so bad, was it?"

"You done?" she asked Zoe, her pretty blue-gray eyes – the same shade as Wade's – red from crying. Zoe nodded.

"I'm done," she confirmed. "We just need to put a few Band-Aids on it. You'll need about three – that was a pretty big boo boo you've got. Do you want to pick them out?" The little girl nodded and Zoe retrieved her box of bandages from the supply cabinet. "Pick any three you want." Zoe and Wade exchanged a soft smile as McKenzie mulled over her choices.

"Cinderella, Belle and Thomas the Tank Engine," she finally announced.

"Good choices," Zoe confirmed, picking out the three bandages.

"You look like Belle," the little girl stated.

"Do I?" Zoe asked, going along with the child. She'd learned quickly since moving to Bluebell that it was easiest just to humor her youngest patients as long as it didn't interfere with their medical care.

"Yep," she said. "My mommy looks like Cinderella. Jake – he's my little brother – he likes trains so I got that one for him."

"Well that was very kind of you," Zoe said. "There you go. Cinderella, Belle and Thomas the Tank Engine, all working to make your knee feel better."

"Tell Dr. Hart thank you," Wade prompted his niece as he picked her up from the exam room table.

"Thank you, Dr. Hart," she said. Zoe reached out and straightened up her fairy wings.

"You're welcome," she said. The three made their way into the waiting room. Wade put McKenzie down and she took a few ginger steps before showing her parents and brother her newly acquired bandages. Zoe returned to the exam room to straighten up. She didn't hear Wade follow her and gasped in surprise when she turned to toss the bandage wrappings in the trash.

"Thanks," he said, leaning on the doorframe. "She can be a bit of a handful."

"Must be the Kinsella in her," Zoe answered. Wade grinned, almost guiltily. "I didn't know you had a sister." She hoped she sounded casual.

"She lives up in Mobile. She's married, has kids. We don't exactly relate."

"To say the least," came Meredith's voice. "But my brother and I will just have to agree to disagree – on a lot of things." She came to stand next to Wade in the doorway. Zoe could see the strong resemblance between them when they stood side by side. She could also cut the tension with a knife. "Thank you for taking care of Mac," Meredith said. "I'm sorry she was so difficult."

"It was no problem," Zoe said. "Her knew will probably be sore for a few days, but she should be back to running and jumping in no time. You may want to clean it with some hydrogen peroxide the next few nights and change the bandages – if she'll let you." Zoe and Meredith exchanged a smile. They made their way back into the waiting room.

"Uncle Wade!" shouted Jacob, sprinting to Wade. Wade caught him up with one arm, righting his cowboy hat with the other. It seemed like the little boy idolized his uncle. Zoe retrieved the lollipop jar from Addie's desk and brought it over to the kids.

"Since you guys were so good, pick a lollipop as a reward," she said, holding the jar out to McKenzie and then Jacob. "And since it's Halloween," she reached in and pulled out two more, "why don't you take two? But don't tell my other patients. They might get jealous." The kids looked delighted.

"We should really get going," Eric said. "It's already late and it's a good drive back up to Mobile." Meredith agreed. They said their goodbyes and another round of thanks yous to Zoe and headed outside, Wade following them. He stopped in the door.

"You gonna be okay here, Doc?" he asked.

"I think I can manage," Zoe answered. "Go. Walk your family to their car or whatever you Southern people do." Wade grinned.

"You need a ride home?" he asked. Zoe shook her head.

"I'll catch one with Lavon. He's on the cleanup committee."

"I can stay…"

"Go home, Wade," Zoe told him, firmly but with a smile so he knew she wasn't being harsh. "I already owe you big time for all of your help. Go get some rest – or use all the electricity you want until I get home." Wade chuckled. "But seriously, thanks – for putting up with me, helping me, getting the pumpkins… I owe you." Wade glanced over his shoulder as his sister navigated her family down the street then stepped back inside the door.

"Since you owe me and all – know how I said I was on the lookout for a slutty nurse?" Zoe nodded, eyeing him. She knew where this was going. "Well, I'd take a slutty doctor – and you already have the little white coat."

"Out," Zoe ordered. "Now." Wade laughed.

"Come on, Doc," he said. "You can even bring that stethoscope of yours. Just warm it up real good before you use it on me."

"Out," Zoe said again, this time moving to shove him towards the door.

"Such violence," Wade stated, allowing her to manhandle him through the door. "And here I thought you took an oath to help people."

"Goodnight, Wade," she said, shutting the door in his face. She listened to the sound of his laughter as he made his way down the sidewalk.


	5. Nobody Drinks Alone

**It's nearing 1am and I have to be up in about 4 hours, but I wanted to get this posted since you all have been so wonderful with your reviews - and because it's technically Monday which means new Hart of Dixie! It's a little heavy, but there is so much here that will come into play in later parts of the story.**

**Good news - I've got the next update about halfway done so you should see it in the next couple of days!**

**The song "Nobody Drinks Alone" by Keith Urban inspired this chapter. I tend to connect music to ideas and this song is pretty poignant when it comes to how it relates to this chapter. **

**THINGS I OWN: A love for Pinterest that just won't quit. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie  
><strong>

"Addie!"

"What now, Dr. Hart?" the nurse asked, appearing in the doorway of Zoe's office. She was irritated though for once, it was at Brick Breeland and not Zoe Hart. The man had thrown a tantrum worthy of her youngest boy when one of his longtime patients, Belinda Dolittle, had asked to see Zoe if she was free. Which, of course, Zoe had been.

"I'm heading out," she said. "Brick is on call. Don't let him tell you otherwise. He's still ticked off at me over Mrs. Dolittle."

"Skipping out a little early, ain't you?" Addie asked, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Just a half hour," Zoe said. "Judson is back from visiting his grandmother for her birthday and we have a date. Wade is working so I can use my hair dryer and my curling iron at the same time. I'm not missing out on that rare opportunity." Addie shook her head.

"Like I said, you watch yourself with that veterinarian," she said. "He wasn't exactly friendly when he dropped by here to say hi to you earlier."

"You weren't exactly friendly, jumping on him about not being around when Miss Whittaker took her cat to see him."

"He's the town vet. It's his responsibility to be around."

"And Miss Whittaker's cat is probably just fine. If anything, it suffers from constant affection, seeing as she only puts the thing down long enough to come in here with the fake plaque."

"Just be careful, Dr. Hart," Addie said, ignoring her sass. "I know you're all street smart and such, coming from New York and all, but us people around here can't be easily fooled."

"You also can't give a new person a chance," Zoe retorted.

"In case you haven't noticed, Dr. Hart, you saw four patients today and three yesterday. While that's a far cry from a full schedule, people are giving you a chance. Your efforts are starting to pay off. That vet of yours? Well, he ain't making an effort whatsoever."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Zoe said pointedly, gathering her things and heading for the door. "Bye, Rose!" she called over her shoulder.

"Bye, Zoe!" Rose, who had taken to holing up in the corner of Zoe's office to do her homework after school, called back. She looked at Addie. "I'm rootin' for Wade," she said matter-of-factly. Addie nodded.

"Me too, sugar, me too."

* * *

><p>She looked hot. She didn't usually think such vain thoughts about herself –her hair was too flat, her lips too thin, something lead her to be disgruntled about her appearance – but tonight, she looked hot. In her black mini dress and four inch heels that cost her more than most people in Bluebell made in a week, she was ready. By leaving work early, she'd had the time to shower and blow out her hair, curl it to perfection. She had smoky eyes and glossy lips and dammit, she was going to have a good time with Judson. Even though he was 10 minutes late and counting.<p>

Twenty minutes later, she heard his car roll to a stop in front of her house.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, greeting her on the porch with a quick kiss. "Got caught up in the office – someone's dog got into the Halloween candy."

"It happens," Zoe said, kissing him again. "I'm just glad to see you. Now, where are you taking me for dinner?" Judson circled her with her arms and held her close to him.

"I reserved us a table at Fancies," he answered.

"Fancies?" Zoe said, making a face. "We always eat there." Judson chuckled.

"Well, the fine dining establishments in this part of the world are sadly lacking," he reminded her. "We have to make do with what we have."

"Fine," Zoe relented. "Next time though? I pick the place."

"If you must," Judson agreed. His phone rang out, breaking the moment. He checked the caller ID. "I need to take this," he said. "Why don't you go inside and get your things? I'll just be a minute." Zoe nodded and turned to head back inside. Judson tapped the answer button but waited until he was several feet away from Zoe's to start talking.

"What?" he asked.

"We agreed on $20,000," came the voice he'd grown to dread.

"I got you $15,000," he answered. "I'm working on the rest of it."

"You think I'm playing with you?" The man on the other end of the phone was angry. "I want my money and I want it now."

"I'm working on it," Judson said again. "I'm doing the best I can do."

"It's not good enough. I'm giving you until Saturday." The line went dead, leaving Judson to curse. The screen door banged and Zoe walked out, her purse in her hand, a bright smile on her face. He put a smile on his own face and went to open the car door for her, admiring how her dress fit snuggly in all the right places.

She was furious. Furious hardly covered it, actually. She wanted to reach across to the driver's seat, rip Judson's phone out of his hand and throw it as far as she could, ideally into the path of an oncoming car to make sure it was good and taken care of. It had rang repeatedly throughout dinner and hadn't stopped when Zoe had suggested they take a walk along the lake. He had answered every single call, often stepping away from their dinner for several minutes at a time, leaving her to awkwardly poke her fork at her ravioli and ignore the whispering going on around her.

Judson had apologized profusely each time, using the dog who'd eaten too much Halloween candy as his excuse. The owner was anxious, he said, and kept calling with questions every time the dog did something they thought was unusual. Zoe wasn't entirely sure she bought it. How many bizarre things could a dog do in the span of three hours anyway? They pulled to a stop in front of Zoe's house and she wasted no time in exiting the vehicle.

"Stupid Prius," she muttered, remembering how George and Wade had made fun of his car. They were right. It was a stupid little car. A stupid little car for a stupid man.

"Zoe, wait," Judson called, catching up to her on the porch. "Look, I know tonight wasn't ideal…"

"Wasn't ideal?" Zoe cut him off, spinning around to face him. "I basically dined alone while you answered phone call after phone call. And as luck would have it, all of Bluebell was at Fancies to see it!"

"I'm a veterinarian, Zoe. This is my job. You're a doctor. I'm sure you can understand that. Are you telling me that if you'd gotten a call about a patient during dinner, you wouldn't have jumped up and took it? And remember, you ran out on me to help that cheerleader the other week. I don't see how me taking calls from a concerned pet owner is any different."

"It's different because you knew I was on call before we ever left the house!" Zoe told him. "I get the whole having patients thing, human, animal or otherwise, but you've been out of town for the last four days. I was looking forward to seeing you. Sorry for being disappointed." She made to go inside, eager to be out of her sky high heels and into leggings and a t-shirt. Judson stopped her, grabbing her by the arm.

"Zoe, stop," he said, pulling around so she was looking at him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I am. Listen, if you'll agree, I'll see if I can't work out something with the vet in the next town over to cover my practice this weekend. We can spend the whole weekend together, doing whatever you want. We can even go out of town, if you'd like." Zoe considered his proposition.

"We can't go out of town," she told him. "As luck would have it, I'm on call starting Friday evening. Brick's on all this week – we trade off. But it's Bluebell. The worse that'll happen is that Lucy Carrington will go into labor or someone will sprain an ankle during the football game Friday night. But if you still want to spend the weekend together, I'm game."

Judson smiled and pulled her to him. "I do," he confirmed. "I'll come over after work on Friday. I'll bring dinner and we can – go from there." Zoe smiled.

"Why don't I come to your place?" she said, thinking of Wade and his tendency to play his guitar too loud, usually blowing the fuse in the process.

"My place is a wreck," he said. "Boxes everywhere, furniture all over the place. I haven't had a chance to put things away. I don't even know where my pots and pans are."

"My place it is," Zoe said. "But why don't we go to your place Saturday? I'll help you get organized."

"That's an option," Judson relented. He leaned in and kissed Zoe. "Sorry again about tonight," he said. "If it makes it any better, I was looking forward to seeing you too." He kissed her again. He was a good kisser and Zoe felt her anger ebbing away.

"Don't let it happen again," she said, only half joking. "At least not for a while."

"Deal," he said. He kissed her again, this time with a lot more passion. He pulled away, leaving Zoe breathless, causing him to smirk at his success. "Sleep tight, Zoe," he said.

"You too," Zoe told him. He stole one more kiss before getting in his car and pulling away.

Zoe let herself in, thinking. She liked Judson. She liked him a lot. He was funny and charming and he was most certainly easy on the eyes. He could make her go breathless with a kiss and when he wasn't running off with his phone, she enjoyed his company. He could relate to her, being a veterinarian. He understood all the years she'd spent studying and how much she wanted to be the best doctor she could.

As funny and attractive as he was, however, she wasn't sure if she was falling for him. She liked him, but she kept waiting for sparks, for something that made her heartbeat speed up and her temperature rise. So far, all she felt was lukewarm excitement when she knew she had a date and slightly weak knees when he'd really kiss her. It didn't help that she had both Addie and Wade's nagging voices in the back of her head, feeding her doubts about Judson. It was their voices that lead her to agree to keep seeing him, determined to give him a chance when no one else around Bluebell seemed apt to.

She washed away her makeup and brushed out her hair, the curls she'd spent so much time on falling limp halfway through dinner. She'd been waging war on her hair ever since she moved to Bluebell, first the humidity that went along with summer and now the dry fall air doing a number on her locks. She spritzed on some leave in conditioner and brushed once more before stripping off her dress and pulling on her leggings and an oversized t-shirt.

She crawled into bed, bringing her laptop with her. She checked her email and Facebook, responding to the single message she had from a friend back in New York before she wasted a half hour on Pinterest, re-pinning recipes she would likely never try given her failed cooking attempts. With a yawn, she shut her laptop down and turned off the light. It was pitch black tonight since Wade was still at work, the lights from his house not giving off a soft glow that lit up her bedroom like a nightlight. She had just drifted off to sleep when a loud crash made her sit straight up in bed.

* * *

><p>"What the…?" she said. She heard it again, this time making out the grunting of what sounded like a human. She sat in the middle of her bed, frozen as she considered her options. The lights were still off at Wade's and a quick glance at the clock told her he was still at the Rammer Jammer and would be for a while. There was another crash, this one much closer. She sprang out of bed and retrieved her Taser from the depths of her purse. She hoped it still worked, having no need for it until now.<p>

She edged towards her front door, listening hard. She was certain someone was outside. She heard their grunting and heavy breathing. She peeked around the curtains, Taser ready, but didn't see anything. She took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping onto the porch. Her lawn chairs and table were turned over in her yard, one of the chairs some 20 feet away from where it had been. Terrified, she tiptoed down the porch steps, completely alert and aware that this was how the girl died in so many of the scary movies she'd seen.

"Dag on son of a gun…" Zoe jumped, throwing her hand over her own mouth to stifle the scream that tried to escape, looking around wildly for whoever the voice belonged to. The sound of something heavy being moved reached her ears. She bravely, or perhaps stupidly, took a few steps further into the yard, wishing more than anything that Wade would come home or Lavon would, for some crazy reason, have a need to drive to the back of his property where his two tenants resided.

"Hello?" she called, chiding herself for making her presence known as soon as she'd done it. "Please don't kill me," she said to herself, looking around, wide-eyed and scared.

"Son of a bitch… Mary Ellen! Where are you, Mary Ellen?" More grunting, another crash of something heavy. This time, it sounded closer to Wade's. Curiosity got the better of her and she edged around the pond, sticking close to the trees for cover, her Taser held in front of her with a shaky hand. She could make out someone on Wade's porch, tripping over the assortment of fishing poles, tools and empty take out containers that littered it. "Mary Ellen! Come out wherever you are!" Zoe sighed in relief, recognizing the source of all the noise. She let her Taser fall to her side.

"Earl!" she called, walking into Wade's yard, any fear she had now gone. "What are you doing?" Earl tried to look at her, but he was so drunk he couldn't stand still, let alone focus on her. "Earl? It's Dr. Hart. I treated you after Wade ran over you with his boat trailer, do you remember?" Earl staggered, his eyes trying to focus on her. Zoe wondered how many of her he saw.

"Pretty lady," he said, raising a hand in acknowledgement.

"Close enough," Zoe relented.

"Have you seen Mary Ellen?" he asked. Zoe shook her head.

"Who's Mary Ellen?"

"She's gone!" Earl said, turning and staggering away several steps, tripping over a tackle box as he went. It was amazing, really, that he didn't fall but kept walking, albeit in a swaying line. "She's gone and I can't find her nowhere!" Zoe climbed the porch stairs, avoiding the mess Earl had made of Wade's already messy porch.

"Earl, Wade's not here," Zoe said. "He's at work." Earl seemed to ponder what she was saying. He stared at her again, swaying violently. She held up two fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked.

"One, two… Six," Earl Answered. "Mary Ellen!" Zoe sighed, realizing it was the first of the month and if her memory of her political science classes in college served her correctly, the government check Lavon said Earl got every month would have come today which meant Earl was on his way into town. As a doctor, she couldn't let him leave. He was a danger to himself, not to mention the community.

"Come on, Earl," she said, walking up to him carefully. "Let's go inside."

"You're pretty," Earl told her as she took him by the arm. "Mary Ellen!" Zoe sighed.

"Come on," she said, guiding him towards the door. He nearly fell again, this time over his own two feet. Zoe stumbled as well, trying to steer Earl towards the door. She wasn't very big and despite his inebriated state, Earl was significantly stronger than her. She managed to get him inside and placed him in a chair. She took a deep breath, dropping her Taser on the coffee table while she decided what to do.

"Mary Ellen!" he called, looking around wildly. "Is she here?" he asked Zoe.

"You're at your son's house," she told him. She needed to call Wade, let him know what was going on, but her phone was on her nightstand, charging. She looked at Earl. "Earl, do you have a cell phone?" she asked, knowing Wade didn't have a landline. Neither of them did.

"I broke it," he said. "Mary Ellen wouldn't answer."

"Great," Zoe said trying to remain patient. "Okay. You stay right here. Don't move. I'm going to go across to my house, get my phone, and then I'll be right back, okay?" Earl didn't respond. She left the house and was halfway across the yard when Earl came stumbling back outside.

"Bye, pretty lady!" he called.

"Earl!" Zoe called, turning to head back to Wade's. "Where are you going?"

"To find Mary Ellen!" he called back. "Mary Ellen!"

"Okay, no phone," Zoe said. She hurried back to Earl. "Come on, back inside," she said. The journey back inside was no easier, Earl stumbling even more than before, creating an even bigger mess of Wade's porch as he tried to turn the other way to continue his journey to town. She managed to get him back in the chair and checked the time on Wade's microwave. It'd be at least two hours more hours before he came home. She had no choice but to stay and make sure he didn't leave until Wade got home. She watched him retrieve a flask from somewhere in the depths of his dirty overcoat. She had an idea.

"Hey Earl, let me refill that for you," she said, holding out her hand. Earl, thinking he was getting more whiskey, handed his flask over without protest. Zoe took it into Wade's kitchenette and poured what was left down the sink. She filled it with water, hoping Earl was drunk enough to not know the difference.

"Thanks, pretty lady," Earl said after taking a swig, confirming Zoe's suspicions.

"Drink up," she told him. "There's plenty where that came from." She needed to get him hydrated, get something in him besides liquor. He started humming a tune that sounded faintly like "Moon River," disappearing into a world that seemed to only exist inside his head. Zoe, with nothing else to do but wait, took to wandering around Wade's house.

She'd been inside a number of times, usually to berate him for one thing or another, but she'd never really looked around. It was messy, which didn't surprise her. A number of his shirts were discarded around the living room. Beer bottles sat on end tables and his small kitchen table. His guitars, one acoustic and one electric, were propped up against a wall, his amp nearby. She wandered into his bedroom, a room she'd never been in before.

The bed was unmade and more clothes littered the floor. The drawers of his dresser were open, clothes hanging out, a sign that he'd been rummaging through them. She spied an old flannel shirt hanging out of a middle drawer and retrieved it, pulling it on over her t-shirt, realizing that she was chilly. It smelled like Wade and she found herself pulling it tighter around her as she wandered back into the living room. Earl, it seemed, had passed out. She sat down on the sofa and tucked her kegs under her, thinking.

Her self-guided tour of Wade's house had made her realize even more that she knew little about Wade. There wasn't a single photo or personal effect that gave her any hint of who he was. He had a sister, a niece and nephew, and yet she would have never known that just by looking around his house. There wasn't a single photo or any kind of memento that gave him away. Wondering what else she didn't know about Wade, she drifted off to sleep.

Wade stifled a yawn as he pulled to a stop in front of his house. He had hung around the Rammer Jammer as long as he could, knowing it was the first of the month and it was time for his father's monthly performance. There had been no sign of Earl, however, and by 2am, he let himself believe that there may just be a month he didn't have to climb on top of the hardware store and sing his father down.

He got out of his car and glanced at Zoe's house, not surprised that the lights were off. She'd likely been asleep for a while, hopefully by herself, Judson tucked in his own bed. Between his tired state and thoughts of Zoe, he didn't see the overturned toolbox on his porch and stumbled over it. Cursing, he looked up and for the first time noticed his lights were on. He frowned, then noticed the state of his porch. He sighed. It looked like his dad had made it to his house instead of the hardware store.

"Alright, Dad, time to go," he said, entering his house.

"Wha…?" came Zoe's voice. His eyes had been trained on his father, passed out in an armchair, a flask resting on his stomach. He hadn't noticed Zoe, curled up on his couch, wearing one of his shirts. She brushed her hair out of her face, struggling to wake up.

"What are you doin' here?" he asked, though he thought he could put it together.

"I heard something when I was going to bed. Earl was stumbling around in the yard. He made a mess of your porch," she answered.

"I noticed," Wade said bitterly. His toes on his right foot were throbbing from tripping over the toolbox. He made to wake up his father.

"Don't," Zoe said. "Let him sleep it off." Wade looked like he was about to argue but thought better of it. Instead, he sat down next to Zoe and sighed heavily, from both exhaustion and irritation at his father.

"I'm sorry 'bout him," he told Zoe. "It's not your place to deal with him."

"I wasn't going to let him stumble off into the night after I found him on your porch," Zoe said. "I took his flask and poured it out, refilled it with water. He was too drunk to notice. It didn't take him long to pass out once I got him inside." Wade looked at her, trying to decide what to say.

"Thank you," he finally said. "For takin' care of him or whatever you did. Most people round here would've just let him go on his way. They don't pay him no mind, him bein' Crazy Earl and all." It hadn't escaped his attention that Zoe called him 'Earl.' Everyone else, even his sister, referred to the man as Crazy Earl. She didn't know what something so small meant to him.

"Well, I owed you one," she said with a small smile. Wade returned her smile, then noticed the Taser on his coffee table.

"Did you – you didn't – tase him did you?" he asked, a touch of amusement on the edges of his voice. Zoe shook her head.

"It was my only line of defense," she said. "It's the best I could do seeing as you weren't home and Lavon wasn't going to come driving along anytime soon." Wade laughed in spite of the situation. Zoe rested her head on the back of the sofa, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. Wade leaned back as well, the pair looking at each other.

"You are so city," he said, a phrase he often used to describe her.

"Shut up," she said, smacking his shoulder lightly. He grinned, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Can I ask you something?" she asked. She looked timid. Wade nodded. "Where is your mom?" Whatever he'd been expecting, it wasn't that. He looked down, bit his bottom lip for a moment before raising his eyes to meet Zoe's curious ones. Even years later, he didn't like talking about his mother.

"Died," he said. "A long time ago. She had cancer." He didn't like to remember those last few weeks, the doctors and the nurses, the medicine and the machines. Zoe could tell the memory pained him. She reached out and put her hand over his where it rested on the back of the sofa.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean…"

"It's okay," Wade said, shaking his head. "I was in eighth grade. So like I said, it was a long time ago." The pair fell into silence for a while, the only sound filling the room the soft snores emitting from Earl. Zoe's hand still covered Wade's. Neither of them made to move.

"You know, it was your dad who found it," Wade said after a while. Zoe looked at him, waiting for him to go on. "She ignored the symptoms for a long time. She kept makin' excuses, said she was tired because she was workin' so hard, jugglin' her job and us. I was young, but I remember hearin' Dad tryin' to get her to go get checked out. She'd get sick a lot but she hid it from us, didn't want us worryin' I reckon. She finally went to see Harley but by the time she did, the cancer had spread all over. There won't nothin' anyone could do. She died 'bout six weeks after Harley diagnosed her."

"I can't imagine," Zoe said softly. She'd seen the effects of cancer first hand, being a doctor, but she she'd never lived it, never had to watch a loved one battle against it.

"I know you don't believe it, but you're more like Doc Wilkes then you know," Wade told her. Zoe shook her head.

"I'm nothing like him," she said. "People loved him. He was like, the town whisperer or something."

"He kept Crazy Earl off the roof more than once," Wade told her. "Tried time and time again to help him when Mere and I were still kids, get him to straighten' up, be a daddy to us, get out of the bottle. You did just what he would have done tonight." Zoe didn't say anything. There was nothing to say.

"Why "Moon River?" she asked after another span of silence. "He started humming it, right before he fell asleep."

"It was Momma's favorite song. Believe it or not, she loved Willie Nelson's version. Most people think she had an obsession with _Breakfast At Tiffany's_ but I don't think she ever even seen it. She just loved Willie."

"You play Willie Nelson sometimes," Zoe commented. She'd dated a guy once who had an obsession with outlaw country music and she knew more Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash than any born and bred New Yorker ever should.

"Yeah," Wade agreed. "Sometimes." Somewhere during their conversation, Zoe had slid closer to Wade. Only a sliver of space separated them now. An exceptional snore sounded from Earl and Wade made a face. "He wasn't always like that," he said. "He just loved Momma so much. When she died, he died too." Zoe found herself laying her head on Wade's shoulder. It was late and she was tired and right then, in that moment, it felt like the right thing to do. Instinctively, he put an arm around her. She didn't pull away.

"Was her name Mary Ellen?" she asked. Wade nodded.

"How'd you know?"

"He was looking for her," Zoe told him. "He kept calling out for her, asking me if I'd seen her."

"That's usually how it starts. He gets his check deposited on the first, goes to the liquor store, goes back home and starts drinking. By nightfall, he's so drunk he's separated from reality. He's usually out of money by the end of the month and he'll be sober for a few days. That's why Meredith came down for Halloween – so Jake and Mac could see their grandpa while he was sober."

"Meredith helped raise you, didn't she?" Zoe guessed. Wade nodded.

"She stepped in after Momma died. She's a couple years older than me. I mean, I was old enough to look after myself well enough, but she made sure I went to school, cooked dinner in the evenings, looked after Daddy. 'Course, she took off first chance she got, but I guess I can't blame her."

Wade could hardly believe he was telling Zoe all of this. He kept his cards close, didn't let people in. He blamed it on the late hour and Zoe's proximity, her perfume filling up his nostrils and fogging his already tired mind. She yawned, moving her hand to cover her mouth, her head never leaving his shoulder.

"Let's get you home," he said, moving half-heartedly with the intentions of walking her home. He would be fine with her staying right where she was. It just felt right, having her tucked in at his side.

"I'm comfortable," Zoe said, her eyes heavy. "Can I stay?" Wade nodded and put his arm back around her, pulling her closer to him again. She didn't protest, whether it was because she was so tired or something else, he didn't know. He wasn't going to argue either way. She drifted back to sleep quickly and he followed not far behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew. That was heavy. But necessary. More fun ZoeWade moments are ahead in the next chapter, promise! **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	6. Measure Of A Man

**Tuesday morning I woke up and picked up my email to check my phone. I was blown away - over 40 notifications from you beautiful people, reviewing my story, adding me to your alerts... It seriously blew my mind and I can't thank you enough for being so kind. I believe I've replied to all of your reviews, but if I missed you, please know I appreciate it so much! **

**The update was named after Justin Moore's song "Outlaws Like Me." ****I have to say, despite my distaste with Monday's episode, I do like the show's Judson a lot more than my Judson, ha!  
><strong>

**THINGS I OWN: A cat who is thisclose to being evicted if her attitude doesn't improve. THINGS I DON't OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>The sun streaming through his window woke him the next morning. He blinked several times, trying to adjust his eyes to the brightness. Half of his body was asleep, not to mention warm. He looked down for the source to see Zoe Hart curled up against him, her head and hand on his chest, legs draped over his, still sound asleep.<p>

The night before came flooding back to him. Coming home, finding Zoe asleep on his couch, his father passed out in an armchair. Zoe asking him about his mother, him telling a story he hadn't visited in years. Zoe somehow ending up with her head on his shoulder, his arm around her, her asking to stay.

He wasn't sure if he regretted it. He didn't like to think about the past. For him, it was full of missed opportunities. Times when he should have spoken up, said what he was thinking, what he was feeling. Times when he should have taken a chance when it was in front of him instead of taking the safer route, the easier option or even the right option. Times when he knew he was making a bad decision but followed through anyway.

Without knowing he was doing it, he started playing with Zoe's hair, running his fingers through her long locks as she slept. It felt like this was how it was supposed to be, him with Zoe in his arms, a place where she was safe, cared for. He knew she liked to think she could take care of herself, that she didn't need anyone, but in that moment, he couldn't help but realize just how petite she was, how delicate and feminine she was despite the sharp edge attitude she liked to throw out in front of her.

He'd been in love before. He'd had his heartbroken before and broken more than his own fair share of hearts along the way. He'd seen what real love looked like. It was what his parents had, before his mom had passed away. They were high school sweethearts, married just days after their high school graduation and, despite Earl's physical presence, had died together. He'd sworn he wouldn't go there, wouldn't fall, not just for Zoe but for any other woman. It was just too much trouble. One night stands and short flings were the best he could do. Zoe was a game changer though, and he had to figure out the play calling before it was too late.

"You goin' marry her." Wade had let his forehead rest against Zoe's as she slept and he lost himself to his thoughts, but he raised it to look at his father. Earl, now sober, was watching him and Zoe as though they were the most interesting thing in the world.

"'Bout time for you to leave, ain't it?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet so as not to wake Zoe. There was a hard edge to it though, his patience for his father weathered by years of alcohol and rooftops. If it hadn't been for Zoe asleep on his chest, he would have tossed him out unceremoniously the moment he woke up and realized his father was still there.

"You look at her like I looked at your momma," Earl said, nodding his head as though agreeing with himself. Wade carefully – begrudgingly – moved Zoe off of him and lowered her to the couch. She sighed softly, but didn't wake up. He stood and moved towards his father.

"Let's go," he said, pulling Earl into a standing position. "You've done enough here."

"I'm goin,' I'm goin,'" Earl muttered, shrugging Wade off. He felt his pockets. "Where's my flask?" Wade spied it tucked in the cushion of the armchair and picked it up.

"Here," he said. He'd long since given up on trying to keep his father from his whiskey. "Now get on home." Earl raised his flask to Wade and headed towards the door, as sober as he'd be the rest of the day. He took a swig of his flask as he exited. Wade heard him mumbling about it tasting like water as he descended the porch stairs.

Rubbing his hands over his face, Wade turned to Zoe. He had to wake her up, whether he wanted to or not. She had to be at her office soon. He sat down on the edge of the sofa, giving himself a few more moments to just look at her before he carefully brushed the hair out of her face.

"Hey, Doc?" he said. "Time to wake up." When she didn't stir, he put a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. "Doc? Rise and shine." Zoe woke slowly, stretching her arms and yawning as her eyes flickered open.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Little after eight," Wade answered. She sat up, unintentionally putting herself in close proximity to Wade. It was then that she recalled the conversation from the night before, remembered her head on Wade's shoulder, the feel of his arm around her as she'd dozed off and just how comfortable and familiar it had felt.

"Hey," she said softly, not sure what else to say. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hey," Wade answered. He tapped his fingers against his thigh, trying hard not to just stare at her. Her hair all over, her eyes still heavy with sleep and wearing his shirt over her too big t-shirt and leggings, he was sure she had never been more beautiful. She looked past him to the chair Earl had spent the night in.

"Where's Earl?" she asked.

"Just left. I think he figured out you switched his whiskey for water before he got off the porch." Zoe smiled slightly though there was nothing funny about the situation.

"I should go," she said. "I need to be at work soon." Wade nodded and stood as did she. He followed her to the door, both of them awkward in the morning light. It made Wade appreciate even more that their previous close encounters – once in his car and once in the rain – hadn't led to more. They hadn't slept together and yet they were as awkward as if they had. At the top of his porch stairs, Zoe turned to him but didn't say a word, their eyes locking in on one another. They both felt the air around them charge but neither of them let on.

"Thank you," Wade finally said, hoping she understood everything he was thanking her for. In an uncharacteristic move, Zoe reached out and squeezed his hand, her eyes still on his. Without a word, she turned and crossed the yard. She was still wearing Wade's flannel shirt.

* * *

><p>"Heads up!" Wade turned just in time to catch the package of ground beef Lavon tossed at him. "Go ahead and make us a couple of burgers out of that, Kinsella." Wade looked at Lavon.<p>

"Do what?" he asked.

"Burgers. Fry us up a couple. I didn't stutter."

"Since when am I your personal chef?"

"Go on and do what you're told, boy," Lavon shot back, nodding at the stove.

"Only 'cause a burger would be good right 'bout now," Wade relented, retrieving a frying pan. He and Lavon had this same conversation every week. He knew how to cook up a burger and Lavon knew how to eat them and so a weekly burger ritual had been born between the two.

"So, what's going on with you and Dr. Hart?" Lavon asked. Wade looked over his shoulder at Lavon.

"Seriously? We're havin' this conversation again?"

"I'm trying to catch you off guard," Lavon told him. "A man gets suspicious when the squabbling and innuendo he done grown accustom to listening to over his breakfast every morning is replaced with relatively civilized conversation."

"She helped me out with somethin'," Wade said. He opened the top on several different seasonings to use on his burgers. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal my left foot," Lavon said.

The town had been talking when Earl didn't make his monthly appearance on the rooftop, especially since Gary Marks had seen Earl stumbling towards town earlier in the evening. They'd all waited around for Earl but he never turn up. The next morning, Stu Bealcher had seen Earl heading towards home, walking down the road not far from Wade's. Lavon was certain Zoe was involved in Earl's no-show but he couldn't figure out how. All he knew for sure was that his breakfast had been strangely peaceful over the last several days. He kind of missed the usual uproar.

"It's not," Wade said. "And what do you mean, no innuendo? Just this mornin' I got accused of using a blown fuse as a matin' call."

"Oh you're still throwing out your lines that don't work, just less frequently and with a lot more sweet smiles and eye contact that lasts just a shade too long." Wade was saved from replying by Zoe herself.

"We're not staying, just dropped by to get my bottle of wine out the fridge," she said, breezing in with Judson several steps behind her.

Lavon glanced at Wade just in time to see him give the veterinarian a cold look before turning his attention back to the frying pan. "Sure you don't wanna stay, Doc? Lavon's got me fixin' up some of my burgers," he said, glancing at Zoe.

"No thanks. Judson managed to get his hands on some sushi – apparently a rare delicacy around these parts – so I'll be enjoying a slightly more refined meal tonight than your greasy burgers." Wade made a face.

"That ain't even real food," he told her.

"Why? Because it's not rolled in batter and dropped in a vat of grease?" she retorted, digging in a drawer for the wine opener.

"Pretty much," Wade confirmed.

"Oh, sushi ain't so bad," Lavon commented, watching both the interaction between Zoe and Wade and the way Judson hung on the fringes, checking his phone and glancing anxiously at Zoe.

"Thank you," Zoe said, acknowledging Lavon's support of her dinner choice. She went to work at pulling cork out of her unopened bottle of wine.

"You can't listen to Lavon. He spent ten years getting' knocked around on the football field, bound to have some brain damage." Wade watched as she struggled with the corkscrew, pulling and twisting and exerting far more effort than was necessary. He glanced at Judson who showed no signs of coming to her rescue. He shook his head and put down his spatula. "Give me that," he said, taking the bottle from her and easily uncorking it.

"Thanks," Zoe said unwillingly as he passed the bottle back to her.

"So Dr. Lyons, I haven't seen you around much. Been busy?" Lavon asked, making an effort to make the newest member of his town feel welcomed.

"Oh yeah, always," Judson answered, pocketing his phone. "Actually, I've been wanting a word with you." Lavon nodded for him to continue. "Mr. Mayor, with all due respect, you realize it's not in the best interest of your pet alligator to, well, keep him as a pet, correct?" Lavon raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"As a veterinarian, I can't approve of you keeping an alligator as a pet. It goes against the laws of nature, keeping him as a pet."

"Burt Reynolds is as free as any other gator around these parts," Lavon told him. "He just happens to like my table scraps so he sticks close to the plantation and in turn, has gotten used to being around people."

"An alligator isn't meant to live on table scraps," Judson argued. "There are a number of alligator farms within driving distance of here…"

"You can stop that fuss right there," Lavon told him. "Burt Reynolds is as much a part of this community as I am. He ain't going nowhere."

"Judson, why don't we head to my place?" Zoe said, sensing that Lavon was just getting started. "We'll – eat and stuff." She moved towards the door, grabbing Judson by the arm in the process and pulling him with her.

"Hey Doc?" Wade called.

"What, Wade?" Zoe asked, annoyance creeping into her voice.

"I won't talkin' to you," he said. Zoe frowned. She was 'doc,' not Judson. "I wanted to ask the vet, since he's an animal guy and all… See, I'm a bit of an avid fisherman – nothin' quite like an early mornin' on the lake, you know? Anyway, I ain't been havin' much luck lately and I was wonderin' if you had any kinda tips or tricks on how to bait a hook? Bein' a animal doctor and all, I reckon you might know what fish might bite that I ain't thought to try yet."

"Well," Judson started. "To tell you the truth, I don't do much fishing myself." Wade nodded.

"So you don't know much 'bout baitin' a hook?" he asked, his face serious. Zoe realized what he was doing, recalling he and George making fun of Judson at the Rammer Jammer the first night they met him.

"He's not a fisherman," she said, giving Wade a pointed look. "Judson? Let's get going. We shouldn't leave the sushi sitting out long."

"Sure you don't wanna stay, Doc? I can start a few more burgers," Wade said. "There's plenty to go 'round."

"Goodnight," Zoe replied pointedly. She shoved Judson out the door ahead of her and gave Wade and Lavon the dirtiest look she could muster before closing the door behind her. Lavon looked at Wade who had turned back to the stove.

"You could not be more obvious," he stated. "'Course, Zoe could not be any more oblivious, but that's beside the point."

"What are you talkin' 'bout now?" Wade asked. He expertly flipped the burgers over and added slices of cheese to melt on them.

"'Sure you don't wanna stay, Doc? I can start a few more burgers,'" Lavon mimicked. "It's eating you up inside, her being off with the vet."

"I don't like the vet, that's all," Wade said. He slid the burgers one by one onto a plate. "Burgers are ready." There was silence as he and Lavon went through the motions of loading up buns with their condiments of choice, grabbing handfuls of chips as a side and twisting the caps off of beers. They took seats across from one another at the kitchen island.

"You know, between me and you, I ain't that fond of the vet myself," Lavon commented. "And Mayor Hayes is supposed to like everyone in this town. It's in the job description."

"He's the doc's type, I reckon," Wade said with a shrug of his shoulder. "Successful, educated." Lavon studied Wade.

"Don't compare yourself to him," he said, his tone serious.

"I'm not."

"Yeah you are. Just remember, the measure of a man isn't counted in gold or in book smarts, for that matter," Lavon told him. "In your case, it's measured in fixed fuses, opened bottles of wine and batches of gumbo." Lavon bit into his burger, his peace said.

"You know you doin' the dishes, right?" Wade asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yeah, I do. 'Cause I need you to do me a favor." Wade waited. Lavon put down his burger and looked at Wade seriously. "Soon as you done here, head on home. Turn on every light and appliance in the gate house, get your guitar, plug it in to that new amp of yours and crank it up until you blow the fuse box. Wake up all of Bluebell if you have to." He stood to go for a second burger. "Dr. Lyons trying to tell Lavon Hayes he can't have a pet alligator…. Who does he think he is?"

Wade laughed. He'd already planned to run the vet off early, but having Lavon's blessing never hurt.

* * *

><p>"What'd you do to her?" Shelley asked, coming to stand by Wade behind the bar. She nodded at Zoe who was purposefully sitting across the room with her back to Wade, eating her dinner and making polite conversation with Dash Dewitt who was seated at the next table over.<p>

"I don't know. Somethin' about interruptin' her sushi dinner with the vet. Blown fuses, loud guitars… I kinda tuned her out once her voice reached pitches only dogs can hear. She'll come 'round soon enough," Wade answered.

She'd have to. They were having a standoff over the fuse box, him refusing to fix it for no other reason than the fact that he enjoyed getting under her skin, her having no idea how to fix it herself. Breakfast had returned to its usual state of chaos that morning. Zoe, already cross from a night with no power, had demanded again that he fix the fuse box. He'd refused again and so Zoe had tried to persuade Lavon to fix it. Lavon had made up an excuse about early meetings and mumbled about not getting in the middle of their argument, slipping out of the kitchen to avoid getting hit by the crosswire. Wade suspected he was still bitter over Judson's stance on alligators as pets. The whole thing was childish on all their parts but none of them were willing to concede.

"You two just need to get naked together already," Shelley commented, popping her gum. She picked up a pitcher of water and left to refill glasses around the restaurant. Wade smirked, watching Zoe. He knew she could feel his eyes on her. He also knew it was taking every ounce of will power she had not to turn around and let him have it. He was talking with a couple local fisherman about their day's catch when she finally caved and crossed the room to the bar.

"Did you fix the fuse box?" she asked him, getting straight to business.

"Guess you'll find out when you get home, won't you?" he replied.

"Wade, if it's not fixed…"

"What are you gonna do? Poke it with a stick some more?" he interrupted. He still didn't understand why that was her go-to when it came to the fuse box. As intelligent as she was, she could be as dim as she was pretty when it came to common sense.

"I'll find someone in this town willing to change a fuse for me," she said haughtily.

"Who? The vet? 'Cause he sure seemed useless last night." Zoe narrowed her eyes but knew she couldn't argue. She'd asked Judson to fix it when Wade refused and after a couple of half-hearted attempts, he'd confessed to being clueless.

"Tom'll do it," she said, looking around the bar to see if she saw the young guy who had a puppy dog crush on her.

"It's Wednesday. Poker night. Sorry, Doc."

"Did you fix it or not?" Zoe demanded, a hand going on her hip. Wade had come to recognize that as her battle stance.

"Like I said, you'll figure it out when you get home."

"You're impossible."

"Likewise, sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart."

"Don't use so much electricity."

"Wade Kinsella, you purposely turned on everything electrical you own and plugged in that damn amp of yours to intentionally blow the power and ruin my night. I don't know what you have against me, Judson, or sushi, but I want my power back on."

"You're hot when you're mad, know that?" he asked. She scoffed, both hands now on her hips.

He was completely unfazed by her tantrum, standing there behind the bar with a smirk on his face, clearly enjoying taunting her. She wasn't used to that. Her ex-boyfriend, before he had grown a backbone and dumped her in the lobby of a hospital, would cave the moment she'd so much as raise her voice an octave and the few people she counted as friends had all been intimidated by her and her attitude at some point. Wade, however, merely grinned at her and waited for her to get over herself. She wasn't sure how to take it.

"Mad hardly covers what I'll be if I get home and there's no electricity," she told him.

"Can I just point out that Dr. Vet didn't offer to stay the night or to take you to his house to make sure the big bad wolf didn't get you in the dead of night?" Wade couldn't stop himself. It had been one more reason he didn't like the guy. He was willing to leave Zoe to fend for herself without electricity. It wasn't what a gentleman did. Of course, he hadn't been gentlemanly himself, refusing to swap the fuse for a good one, but he'd also spent the night in the dark and was just across the yard had Zoe actually needed something. Had Judson offered to stay or take her to his place, however, Wade would have fixed the fuse on the spot in an effort to prevent it.

"I'm leaving," Zoe stated. She put a $10 on the counter to cover her dinner and Shelley's tip. "And there damn well better be power when I get home."

"Well then, turn around and let me watch you walk out of here," Wade answered, leaning on the counter. Zoe glared at him and began to walk backwards towards the door, checking over her shoulder ever few steps to avoid falling over anything.

"The front is just as good!" he called across the room. She scoffed, turned, and was gone in a flurry of brown hair, high heels and short shorts he was certain she wouldn't have on if she was still in New York City come late fall. He turned his attention to re-stocking the bar, already anticipating the slew of angry text messages he'd receive when Zoe got home and tried a light switch. He was just finishing up when George Tucker hurried through the Rammer Jammer door.

"Can you get away for a minute?" he asked Wade. His voice was urgent. Wade frowned and nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "Hang on." He searched out Shelley who had taken a seat at the bar and was filing her nails. "Shelley? I'm takin' my break. Cover for me." He walked out from behind the bar, wondering how Shelley still had a job. He headed towards an empty table in a back corner but George stopped him.

"Out back," he said. "The alley should be good."

"The alley?" Wade asked, changing course. "What the hell is goin' on?" George didn't answer, leaving Wade to follow him through the back door of the Rammer Jammer. Once they were outside with nothing but a stray cat raiding the trash cans for company, George turned to him.

"My buddy up in Mobile, the investigator? He got back to me." He had Wade's attention.

"What'd he find out?" he asked, now as urgent as George.

"Judson Lyons? His real name is William Blackburn. He's wanted on felony drug charges in three states and owes a lot of people a lot of money. He's got an elaborate scheme where he uses the money from one deal to pay for another and it's finally caught up with him. About the only thing he's told the truth about is that he is a vet and he did go to Virginia Tech."

"So the doc is spending most of her free time with a felon," Wade stated. He reached in his pocket for his phone but before he could dial Zoe like he intended, George snatched it away from him.

"We can't tell her," he said. Wade looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "The authorities know he's here. They've got people undercover to catch him in the act. I'm not supposed to know anything about it and I'm certainly not supposed to be telling you any of this. If we tell Zoe, she could blow the whole thing and put herself in that much more danger."

Wade took a deep breath, trying to sort through his thoughts. His first instinct was to grab Zoe and take her as far out of Bluebell. His second instinct was to handle Judson himself. In that moment, his second instinct was far stronger.

"I can't just sit there and watch her continue to date him knowin' he's dangerous," he told George. It was hard enough to watch them as it was.

"Wade, think about it. Think about Zoe. She's not going to take something like this lying down. We tell her, she goes to Judson, demands to know the truth. He'll know he's been found out and then God knows what he might do to keep himself out of jail. It's a lose-lose situation whether she knows or not but I think she's far better off being in the dark then she is knowing." Wade took a deep breath to calm himself.

George was right. He hated it, but George was absolutely right. Zoe wouldn't just take the news at face value, dump Judson and move on. She'd demand he tell her the truth and when he realized she knew he was a wanted man, there was no telling what he'd do. Wade had to assume Judson was dangerous and he would be willing to bet everything that the people Judson owed money to weren't the kind to mess with.

"I don't like lyin' to her," he said, resigning himself to the fact that he'd have to stay quiet. "I like knowin' she's in danger even less."

"Nothing about this is ideal. But with any luck, it's short lived. They'll catch him, lock him up and Bluebell will go back to being a sleepy little town on the Gulf instead of a hideout for a felon." George gave Wade a serious look. "But no one is stopping you from telling her the truth about a few other things." Wade frowned.

"You don't know what you're talkin' 'bout," he said.

"I'm your lawyer. I know exactly what I'm talking about," George answered. There was a certain firmness in his voice. "Besides, we used to be best friends."

"That was a lifetime ago," Wade said simply. George nodded in agreement.

"Just keep an eye on Zoe," he said.

"I always do," Wade answered. George nodded at him, passed back his phone and disappeared down the alley and around the corner of the Rammer Jammer. The phone chimed. He opened his new text message and smiled. Zoe had discovered she still had no power and according to her at least, it was his life that was in danger. He grinned just a little as he pocketed his phone and headed back inside. He'd be fixing the fuse box as soon as he got off work.

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><p><strong>Dun dun dun... Thanks for reading!<strong>


	7. Boys From The South

**I seriously can't get over y'all and your kindness. I'm having a blast writing this and I'm so glad so many of you are reading and reviewing and putting me on alerts. It means the world to me so thank you. :) **

**This update is inspired by Pistol Annies' "Boys From The South." Because Zoe Hart - at least in my story - is starting to see the value of those boys from the South. I'm rather partial to them myself... **

**This chapter is a little fluff and a lot of Wade and Zoe - more of a filler than anything. Hope you enjoy it seeing as we haven't had much in the way of Zoe and Wade in the last couple of episodes!  
><strong>

**THINGS I OWN: A new pair of boots. And a new dress. I stress shop during football season. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

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><p>The city rushed by the window as she sipped her cup of gourmet coffee and munched on the most amazing blueberry scone she had ever tasted. The sky was gray and threatened snow, the people below it hurrying to and from their destinations in colorful coats and scarves, some brand new and crisp against the dark sky, some old and worn, blending in to the cityscape. She smiled into her coffee cup, happy to be back among her people, among her city.<p>

Bang!

She jerked her head around the coffee shop in search of the sudden noise.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She stood, trying to search it out. "Do you hear that?" she asked the couple at the table nearest her. They looked at her as though she'd lost her mind and quickly gathered their things to leave.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Zoe sat bolt upright in her bed.

A dream. It had been a dream. A good one, with her back in New York, having breakfast at her favorite coffee shop and people watching, just before a snowfall. And then some unknown source of noise that apparently only she could hear went and ruined it.

Bang! Bang!

She jumped. The noise, it seemed, wasn't in her dreams. She threw off her blankets and headed towards the front door, just as the sound of a saw made it to her ears. She banged through the screen door, not entirely surprised to see Wade squatting over her second to bottom stair, a saw in hand and a hammer lying nearby as he sawed a new board he'd nailed onto her porch steps down to size, the old, rotting board wrenched up and thrown aside.

"What are you doing?" she asked, raising her voice to be heard over the saw. Wade continued sawing, not looking up at Zoe. She crossed her arms and waited, half expecting him to cut off a finger. The piece of wood fell to the ground and Wade cut the saw.

"Mornin' Doc," he said, looking up at her with a smirk that told her he knew she was irritated with him. He was met with a welcomed site, despite the scowl on her face. She was wearing one of his favorite pairs of her shorts – small, black and tight – and a tank top, a light cardigan thrown over it.

"Is there a reason you're making enough noise to wake the dead before 8:00 on a Saturday morning?" she asked him.

"I'm fixin' your step," he told her. "Noticed it was loose when I was over here the other day, figured I'd save myself the trouble of having to tote you into town to see Brick about a sprained ankle or a broken leg after you fell all over it in them skyscraper shoes you priss around in."

"Did you miss the part where it's not even 8 AM? And what are you doing up so early anyway? Didn't you work late?"

"Keepin' tabs on me, Doc?" he asked. Zoe gave him a look. Knowing she wasn't much of a morning person, he decided he'd pass on the chance to tease her. "I was gonna go fishin' but it looks like rain. I want to get them leaves raked up on the front lawn before it starts. And besides, fish bite better the day after a good rain."

"Well, thanks," Zoe told him, gesturing toward the step. "I appreciate it. Even if you did find it necessary to wake me up."

"What can I say? I like a high maintenance woman standing over me while I work." Zoe shook her head and turned to go back inside with intentions of burying her head under her pillows and going back to sleep. "Since I'm at it, come here and hold this," Wade said. Zoe turned back to him and saw he was shaking her railing which was incredibly loose.

"Hold what?" she asked, clueless as to what he meant.

"Hold this railing in place," Wade instructed. "I'm gonna nail it back down good. Again, to keep you from killin' yourself." Zoe did as she was instructed and watched him as he expertly secured her railing back in place with a few strategically placed nails.

He'd been around a lot lately. He was always around – at breakfast in the mornings, usually at Lavon's come dinnertime when he wasn't at the Rammer Jammer, moving around at his place, playing his guitar or tinkering with his car. But for the last week or so, he'd been coming up with excuses to drop by her place, things like checking to see if she needed anything from the grocery store since he was headed that way or to tell her the latest gossip around town.

The thing was, she'd almost come to enjoy his company. When he wasn't making suggestive comments, she didn't mind sitting on her sofa with him and a couple of beers or sometimes a glass of wine, listening intently as he retold her the stories he'd heard at the Rammer Jammer. She'd even caught herself sitting on the edge of the pond just two evenings ago, telling him about Brick's latest fallout with his daughters while he caught bait for another one of his fishing trips. She'd sought him out that time, eager to share about her day with him. He always listened and even seemed like he actually cared about her trivial tales of Rose bursting into her office after school furious that Fredrick Dean hadn't spoken to her during homeroom or how Lemon had made a catty comment about her hair that she'd just blown out that morning.

"I think you're good, Doc," Wade said, standing up straight and testing the railing. It didn't move.

"You know, having you as a neighbor is useful sometimes," Zoe commented. Wade opened his mouth to comment but Zoe held up her hand. "Don't even go there," she said. Wade laughed. She'd become good at knowing when one of his lines was on the tip of his tongue.

"Like I said, just thinkin' about what a pain in the ass you'd be on a pair of crutches is enough to persuade me to fix it. You're difficult enough walkin' around here under your own power." Zoe just shook her head and went inside. She returned moments later, now wearing a pair of leggings instead of her shorts and the Wellies she pulled on whenever she was going just about anywhere besides the office.

"Since I'm up, I guess I'll go get breakfast," she said. She started down the stairs. When she reached the one Wade had repaired, she jumped on it several times. Wade raised an eyebrow. "Just making sure it's sturdy." Wade shook his head and grinned. Zoe started across the yard. "You coming?" she called over her shoulder.

"Already ate," Wade answered truthfully, having planned to be on the lake as the sun rose. "I reckon I'll get started on those leaves." He nodded towards the plantation work truck that Zoe hadn't noticed was parked by her house. "Want a ride up to the house?" Zoe changed course and climbed into the truck, waiting for Wade to join her.

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><p>"Who made those eggs?" Lavon asked, stifling a yawn as he walked into the kitchen. He was dressed in khakis and a polo, a fedora firmly on his bald head, clearly up to something besides his usual Saturday morning lounging.<p>

"I made them," Zoe said proudly. "All by myself. No burning, no smoke, no nothing. They even taste pretty good. You can have what's left in the pan if you want." Lavon was already pouring a bowl of cereal and turned up his nose at her eggs. "Offensive," Zoe stated. Lavon laughed.

"Your gumbo attempt was enough to deter me from trying anything you cooked unsupervised," he said. "What are you doing up so early on a Saturday anyhow?"

"Wade decided the crack of dawn was an excellent time to fix my loose step and shaky railing," she answered.

"Probably a good idea. Otherwise either me or him would be toting you into town with a broken ankle." Zoe frowned.

"That's what he said." She was slightly offended they didn't think she could maneuver a loose stair. She'd been doing it since she'd moved to Bluebell and besides one unfortunate splinter, she'd faired just fine.

"Excellent minds…" Lavon said, spreading his arms and shrugging.

"I wouldn't go that far," Zole told him with a shake of her head. Lavon laughed and sat down across from her.

"Thanksgiving is Thursday," he mentioned. "I haven't heard of any plans for you to head up north. I figured you'd use the first excuse you came across to head back up to the city."

"You haven't heard anything about it because I won't be going to New York," Zoe told him. "As far as I'm concerned, this Thursday is just like any other Thursday. Except the office is closed so I'm going to sleep incredibly late, wake up, take advantage of online sales and eat a frozen dinner. All in my pajamas. Then I'm going to do the same thing the next day and probably the two after that. Happy Thanksgiving weekend to me."

"That's just sad," Lavon said.

"Thanksgiving is a family holiday. I have no family."

"Now that's a lie and a half," Lavon argued. "Don't think I don't know your momma calls you at least twice a day."

"I'm sorry, did you say my mother? I think I used to have one of those. Then she lied to me for, you know, my entire life. Between a lying mother, a fake father and a dead real father, I have no family."

"You are one bitter New Yorker," Lavon stated.

"Not bitter, just realistic."

"You should talk to your momma," he said. "She's the only one you have."

"Did you miss the no mother part?" Zoe asked. Lavon shook his head. Arguing with her was a lost cause.

"Tell you what, usually it's just Wade and I, a boxed dinner we pick up from Fancies and football. But Didi isn't planning to go home either so she offered to come over and fix dinner and me and Wade are gonna help her. So if you want to join us, you're more than welcome."

"You mean, like, a real Thanksgiving dinner?" Zoe asked. "With turkey and stuffing and yams and pumpkin pie and stuff?"

"Well, yeah."

Zoe looked contemplative. "I haven't had a real Thanksgiving dinner in, like, six years," she said. "I always volunteered to work at the hospital. It beat having to sit through one of my mother's fancy dinner parties she used for schmoozing with potential clients who had alienated their own families in their quests for superstardom. I chose hospital cafeteria food over her catered affairs."

"So you're in?" Lavon asked.

"I'm in," Zoe confirmed. "Although, define what 'help' entails. You're aware of what I do in the kitchen."

"You'll be heavily supervised," Lavon told her. "Didi can cook circles around people in this town and Wade ain't bad either. Me, I'm planning on playing bartender. Just remember the difference between salt and cleanser and we'll already be taking a step in the right direction." Zoe made a face at him. He liked to bring up her gumbo mishap.

"I know Didi can cook. I've had her leftovers you've brought home. But Wade? Okay, he can do burgers. Burgers are a guy kind of thing to cook. And spaghetti isn't hard, unless, apparently, your name is Zoe Hart. I can't buy that he can cook Thanksgiving kind of dishes however. Those aren't your standard meal-time fare," Zoe said.

"Zoe, Wade can cook. And he can cook well."

"He's Wade, Lavon." She just couldn't believe that Wade, the same guy who generally nourished himself on a steady diet of cereal, sandwiches, fried food from the Rammer Jammer and beer, could pull off a sweet potato casserole.

"He can!" Lavon argued. "You've had his gumbo. Gumbo – obviously – ain't for the casual chef." Zoe frowned. Lavon's eyes were big as if he'd realized he'd said something he wasn't supposed to.

"I've never had Wade's gumbo," she said. "I've only had gumbo one time in my entire life and that was…" she trailed off, Wade's voice offering to help her make his uncle's gumbo recipe filling her head. She looked at Lavon. "Wade made my gumbo," she said, disbelieving. Lavon shrugged and stood to take his empty bowl to the sink.

"Lavon Hayes did not say that," he said. "I said nothing about no gumbo. And now Lavon Hayes leaving. He is going up to Mobile to play a round of golf with some former Crimson Tide teammates of mine, far away from any speak of any gumbo." He exited the house and moments later, Zoe heard his Navigator start up. She remained at the kitchen island, pushing around the remaining eggs on her plate and thinking.

Wade had made her gumbo. She had assumed Lavon had done it. Wade had even made her think Lavon had done it, asking about his Mayoral ethics. She wondered why he didn't just tell her, why he didn't fess up to being the one who had spent all night working on it, take the credit he deserved. Zoe recalled how insistent she had been about not needing his help, how determined she was to do things on her own, particularly that day. She guessed she couldn't blame him for keeping it to himself, given how she had behaved.

Eventually, she stood and put her dishes in the dishwasher. It was full, so she started it and wandered over to the window, still nursing her second cup of coffee. Wade was busy raking leaves at the edge of the front yard. She watched him as he worked, his muscles flexing with each pass of the rake, the fallen oak leaves piling up around him.

He wasn't like most guys she'd encountered. She knew she could be difficult when she wanted to be, but he had a way of dealing with her, of letting her throw a tantrum or make a stubborn stance on one subject or another, but stepping in when she was going too far. In a lot of ways she was the gas and he was the brake, always slowing her down before she crashed. Her tendency to overreact didn't faze him and she suspected it even amused him sometimes.

He drove her crazy half the time with his suggestive remarks and cocky grin. He had a swagger about him, a sort of confidence. She was certain he knew how he affected the girls around town, wearing those flannel shirts with the top few button undone, driving around in his muscle car, hiding behind his aviators. She hadn't seen him in action lately but she knew his reputation as the town Casanova, his legendary string of one night stands. He was the guy girls went to when their hearts were broken and they wanted to feel better, if only for a night, or if they had an itch to scratch.

But despite his bad boy swagger, there was another side of him, one that Zoe was starting to realize he didn't show to most people. He was, kind, had a good heart. He'd had to grow up too soon after his mother had died and his father had lost himself to a bottle. She thought that was probably why he was also so protective, having to always look out for his father, help his sister. He was always there when she needed him, whether she knew he needed him or not – or would admit it.

With a sigh, she put her coffee mug in the sink and settled onto the sofa. She flipped through the channels for nearly a half an hour, not impressed by Saturday morning programming. She turned the TV off and intended to go home, find something to occupy her until the day's football games started, but Wade working caught her eye. She wandered over to where he was still raking leaves.

"Would you kill me if I jumped into one of these?" she asked, toeing the edge of the nearest pile.

"Seeing as I've wanted to kill you for less, probably," Wade answered as he raked.

He kept working, shooting her curious glances. She was contemplating the leaves as though they were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen, using the toe of her boots to play with the leaves at the edge of the pile. It was the same way she had contemplated the pond during the last heat wave of the year, dipping her toes in the water, curious but not quite willing to take a chance. He stopped working and leaned on the rake.

"I'm just gonna guess that you've never played in a pile of leaves before," he said. Zoe looked at him.

"I grew up in a high rise in Manhattan and pretty much moved straight into a loft in Soho. There wasn't exactly an abundance of trees." He smirked and propped the rake up against a nearby tree. He set his sight on Zoe and started towards her. Realizing what he was about to do, Zoe took several steps backwards. "I think I'll just…" She turned to run but he was faster. He scooped her up easily and before she knew it, she was buried in a pile of leaves.

"That was not fair," she stated, struggling to sit up in the deep pile as Wade laughed at her.

"You asked for it," he told her, grinning. "That's just sad, never playin' in a pile of leaves. It was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid. 'Course, then I got to rake 'em all back up but I'd say it was worth it." Zoe smiled despite her initial intention to be mad at him. To most people, it was a causal comment about a childhood memory. To Zoe, it was another piece of Wade's puzzle.

"Help me up," Zoe said, holding out her hands. Wade, still smirking, took her hands. Before he could pull her up, however, Zoe jerked him towards her, bring him crashing down into the leaves next to her. She laughed hard, proud of herself for bringing him down. He pushed himself into a sitting position and looked at her.

"That? That was not fair," he told her. Zoe smiled.

"Neither is this," she answered, moving her arm and causing a flood of leaves to rain down around Wade.

"That's it," he said. Next thing Zoe knew, she could hardly see Wade through the leaves flying around them, both furiously throwing leaves the other's way, demolishing most of Wade's hard work within minutes. Zoe fell back into the leaves, laughing. Wade came down beside her, both gasping for breath.

"You're right," she told him. "That is fun." Wade's smile was genuine as he looked over at her.

"See what you've been missin' out on, livin' in that fancy city of yours?" he asked. To his surprise, Zoe nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I do." He wasn't expecting that. He was expecting her to counter with how in New York, she could get takeout at 2am and never had the need to drive anywhere. Bluebell had grown on her, whether she would ever admit it or not. "Come here," she said, moving closer to Wade as she fished her phone out of her cardigan's pocket where it had somehow remained throughout their impromptu leaf fight. "I want to prove I played in the leaves in Alabama." She rested her head by his and snapped their picture.

"Look at you, Doc, playin' in leaf piles, skinny dippin'… I'll have you out fishin' with me next thing you know," Wade told her. Zoe shook her head.

"Not a chance, Cowboy," she said. Wade grinned. He liked it when she called him that.

The pair laid there for several minutes, catching their breath and just enjoying the moment of feeling like children again, the real world oddly tucked away from them. Finally, Wade broke the silence.

"Where's the vet this weekend?" he asked. "Out of town again?"

"I think so," Zoe answered. "I, um, I actually broke up with Judson a few days ago." Wade was careful to look curious rather than delighted at her confession.

"You what?" he asked.

"I ended things. He was nice enough and all but it just… I don't know. It wasn't right," Zoe said. "At the risk of sounding like a complete girl, there weren't any sparks, no matter how hard I tried to make them. Besides, he spent more time on his phone than he did with me when we were out on dates and by Thursday evening, he was out of Bluebell faster than Brick is in the waiting room to beat me to a patient. You don't get to say 'I told you so' but I think you and George are right – there's something strange about him. No one is on the phone that much and surely no one goes to visit their family as much as he claims to."

"So it's definitely over?" Wade asked. "Done?" Zoe nodded.

"He tried to change my mind, but we were at Fancies Tuesday night and after his third phone call, something just clicked and I realized I deserved more than a guy who thought it was acceptable to excuse himself to talk on the phone for fifteen minutes at a time while we're supposed to be having dinner." Wade looked at her seriously.

"For what it's worth, he's an idiot," he said. "And not just 'cause he drives a Prius. He was a fool for not treatin' you better. He's probably kickin' himself over losin' you." Zoe smiled.

"Thanks, Wade," she said. He nodded, wishing he had the nerve to ask her to let him show her how she deserved to be treated. Instead, he had to settle for being happy Judson was out of the picture although he wasn't planning to take his eyes off of Zoe until the guy was behind bars and away from her.

"You know, for the record, I know you and Lavon and George all thought Judson was too high maintenance for being a guy, but that's the only kind of guy I've ever really dated back home – guys that have never seen a fishing pole and spend more on hair products than they do on groceries. Y'all are a whole different breed of men down here." Zoe gasped, her eyes wide as she realized what she'd just done. Wade propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her, laughing.

"Dr. Hart – did you just say 'y'all? 'Cause that's what I believe I heard," he said. Zoe nodded, looking horrified.

"I cannot believe I just did that." Wade continued laughing.

"Bluebell's rubbin' off on you," he said.

"I feel like I need to wash my mouth out with soap."

"Aw, come on, Doc. It's just you assimilatin."

"Look at you, using big words," Zoe teased. Wade shrugged.

"I can throw one out here and there," he said. He reached out and plucked a leaf out of her hair. Zoe's eyes fell on the pendant dangling from his necklace. She reached out and took it in her hand, studying it.

"You always wear this," she commented. "I've never seen you without it on." Whether he was working at the Rammer Jammer or fixing the fuse box in the dead of night in nothing but a pair of jeans, she'd noticed he always had that necklace on. She knew there had to be some kind of story behind it. He reached for the pendant, their fingers brushing as Zoe let go of it.

"Momma gave it to me," he said. She noticed the shade of sadness that filled his eyes and willed it away. "Harley diagnosed her and sent her up to Mobile to see some specialists. They told her there was nothing they could do except make her comfortable. She went out that same day and bought this one for me and a pair of angel wings for Meredith. She told us they were meant to protect us but I think she just wanted to make sure we had somethin' to remember her by."

"That's… sweet," Zoe said, reaching out to play with the necklace again. Wade's hand slipped away from the pendant and down her arm before landing in the leaves. Even through her cardigan, Zoe could feel the goose bumps his hand had left with just the lightest of touches.

"Mere don't wear hers much," he said. "She keeps it in her jewelry box, wears it from time to time. She had it wrapped 'round her bouquet when she married Eric and she had it on when both kids were born. It's just habit now, me throwin' this thing on."

Zoe knew it was more than a habit. It had been almost fifteen years since his mother had passed but he still missed her. It made her feel guilty for ignoring her own mother but she was still too angry with her to talk.

"I kind of wish I had something of Harley's," she admitted. "I mean, he traveled all the way to New York for my med school graduation. Even if I had no idea who he was, he made sure he was there for me. I thought he was some crazy old man who was impressed by my speech. It was a good speech, but I never understood what was so impressive about it that he kept sending me postcards with job offers on them every few months."

"Not to point out the obvious, Doc, but don't you have his practice? That was 'bout the most important thing he owned," Wade said.

"That's true," she agreed. She looked around her. They had completely demolished most of the piles of leaves Wade had spent the morning raking up and the sky was heavy with rain. She looked back at him. "I'm going to have to help rake all of this back up, aren't I?" she asked.

"You bet your pretty little New York ass you are," he said, pushing off the ground so he could stand. He offered Zoe his hand. "Come on, girl," he said, pulling her to her feet, their moment broken that quick. "We got some leaves to rake."

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><p><strong>See? Lots of fluff and Zoe and Wade. <strong>

**Thanksgiving is coming up, Judson is out of the picture (or is he?), Zoe is starting to see Wade for the guy he is and Wade, he tells Zoe things he doesn't tell anyone else... Lots going on. I'm hoping to get a couple of updates in this week - heading home to my own version of Bluebell and so there's not much to do but write!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	8. This Can't Be Good

**I'd really hoped to have at least two updates done over the holiday but I forgot my family likes to plan my time at home out for me so I haven't had as much free time as I thought. :) I've been working on this chapter for several days and I'm eager to get the next one out - it's one of the ones I've been looking forward to for a while... **

**Thank you so much for all of your support. I just love reading your feedback and seeing all the story alerts popping up in my inbox. Y'all are just too good to me! **

**THINGS I OWN: A new TV (like, a flat screen! so long, small box of a TV I've had since before college!) courtesy of Black Friday. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

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><p>"Guess what I heard?" Edith Mitchell said to her two counterparts on the bench outside of Agnes' bakery. They sipped on their sweet teas and picked at the cupcakes they had purchased for dessert after an early Junior League dinner.<p>

"What?" both older women asked. It was clear they hoped it was something good, some sort of scandal or affair that would set the town gossip chain on fire. All they'd had to talk about lately was Zoe Hart's shorts and Lemon Breeland's outburst on the sidewalk in front of the beauty parlor when she found out George had told his mother they would be attending Thanksgiving dinner with them.

"I heard it from my daughter Claire who heard it from her friend, Eliza Holland that Stephanie Martin basically took her clothes off at the Rammer Jammer for Wade Kinsella and he didn't so much as bat an eyelash!" Edith told them. The women gasped appropriately.

"Didn't she just come back into town?" Clara Ray asked Edith. "I heard she was dating some boy up in Tuscaloosa and found him in bed with another woman. They said she dropped him lickety split, packed up her things and was back in town by the next day." Edith nodded.

"That's right," she confirmed. "I heard she really gave that girl a piece of her mind too. Never was much for class, that girl. But you know Wade and her used to have their little flings all the time when she'd turn up to visit her momma and daddy – whether she had a boyfriend or not. I can't believe he just plum ignored her!"

"It's that Dr. Hart," Margaret King told her friends authoritatively. "I hear she's been spending a right smart amount of time with the boy."

"I heard that too," Clara agreed. "She's always at the Rammer Jammer when he's working. And you know she has breakfast with him and the mayor every morning? In her pajamas with no makeup on no less! That takes some nerve, letting men see you like that when you're a single woman!"

"You know, she did do a right good job with the Halloween festival," Edith said thoughtfully. "She even came in under budget, I hear. Mayor Hayes was boasting about it at the last town hall meeting from what I hear."

"She did," Margaret said with a nod. "Did a real good job organizing everything too. I actually seen her at the clinic the other day. I had a little bit of a head cold and I went in to see Brick, but Dr. Hart was free so I gave her a chance. She fixed me right up. And was real sweet about it to boot. I wouldn't mind if I had to see her again to tell the truth. She ain't half bad once you get past some of those outfits and all that fast talking she does."

"Well, she does seem to make that Kinsella boy smile," Clara said. "Lord knows the boy could use something to smile about, all he's been through in his life."

"That's the truth," Edith replied. "He's a good boy at heart, singing his daddy down month after month, helping Lavon out around the plantation. Couple of weeks ago he even carried my groceries to the car for me, saw that I was struggling some and the bag boy – that Fredrick Dean? – was too busy chatting with that Magnolia Breeland's chest to help an old lady."

"Oh y'all look a there!" Margaret said, suddenly delighted. She elbowed Edith who was sitting in the middle of the three and nodded down the street. Zoe Hart was locking the doors to her practice just as Wade Kinsella walked out of the Rammer Jammer. The three women sat and watched happily, hoping for something to occur between the two that would fuel their gossip fire.

"Wade!" Zoe called when she seen him. He had been walking down the street towards the town's pizza joint but stopped when he heard Zoe. He waited for her to catch up.

"Evenin,' Doc," he said when she reached him.

"Hey," she replied. She was beaming. "Guess what?"

"You found shoes on sale and are having them overnighted from New York?" Wade guessed.

"What? No," Zoe said, making a face and shaking her head. "The numbers are in and I, Dr. Zoe Hart, pulled in exactly 37% of the revenue. Technically 36.5% but I'm rounding up. I earned an extra half a point," she told him.

"Seriously?" Wade asked. "Doc, that's great!" Before he knew it was happening, Zoe was hugging him. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her to hug her back. The three women on the bench in front of the bakery looked like Christmas had come a month early.

"I did it!" she said, pulling away. "And I'm determined to do even better next quarter. I'm going to kick Brick Breeland's patient hogging ass." Wade laughed.

"I have no doubts," he said. "You headed back to the plantation?" Zoe shook her head.

"I've got a few errands to run," she told him. "And then I'm going to spend the evening googling any and everything I can about how to cook Thanksgiving dinner so I don't make a fool of myself tomorrow." Wade laughed again.

"Don't worry, Doc. We won't let you burn the house down," he told her. Zoe just smiled. "How are you plannin' on gettin' home?" he asked.

"Walking," Zoe answered.

"I can hang around…" Zoe shook her head. She had intentions of learning to drive soon – somehow – so she could start relying on everyone else to get her where she was going, particularly if it was out of walking distance.

"Thanks, Wade, but I could use the fresh air," she told him. "Besides, I don't know how long I'll be."

"You sure?" Zoe nodded. Wade wavered. He didn't mind waiting, but he got the impression she wanted the alone time. He decided not to press her. "Alright. See you tomorrow then. Unless you blow the fuse box. Then I'll see you tonight." There was a twinkle in his eye that made Zoe smile.

"Bye, Wade," she told him, turning away as he winked at her.

Zoe walked down the sidewalk, sure the old ladies in front of the bakery were talking about her – again – but not sure what it could be about this time. She only had one errand in mind, but it was one that had been on her mind all day. Soon, she was walking along a familiar cast iron fence. She pushed against the gate and let herself into the ceremony.

"Hi," she said, walking up to her father's grave. She glanced around, making sure she was alone before she lowered herself to sit on the ground next to his tombstone.

"I haven't been by in a while," she started. "I've been pretty busy, trying to get patients and trying to fit in. It was hard at first. I'm sure you probably knew it would be. It would have been easier if you'd still been here, I'm sure. Although you've definitely been the source of gossip since I turned up and people figured out I'm your illegitimate daughter. Brick still hates me, today more so than ever. I think he was sure I wouldn't get my percentage of the business and he'd get the practice, but I live to fight another quarter. That's what I wanted to tell you – that I made my thirty percent so I can stick around a little while longer.

"You know, Bluebell isn't so bad. I kind of even – like – it. Can you believe that? I can't get takeout, there isn't a taxi to be found and I can forget about decent shopping outside of the internet, but I don't know, there's something about this place. The people, maybe. It's growing on me whether I want it to or not.

"Lavon's been great. He's probably the best friend I have right now. I still talk to my friends in New York, especially Gigi, but their lives are so different than mine now. They're all getting married and having babies and some of them have these amazing fast-paced careers while I'm in Bluebell, Alabama, treating poison oak and snake bites.

"Lavon's been really great about doing what he can to help me fit in around here. He let me ride on this float, even though I ended up totally ruining the Founder's Day parade. He's always giving me ideas of what I can do to show the town's people I want to be a part of their community. Plus he's Lavon Hayes. I mean, do you know how awesome of a linebacker he was in his playing days? Of course you do. You knew him most of his entire life.

"I wish I had a girlfriend here though, you know? Just someone I could talk to about things like hair and clothes and you know, boys. I mean, Shelley's the closest thing I have to a girlfriend around here. I should probably give her more of a chance than I have. She can be a little dim and she does some weird things like carrying pretzels around in her pocket, but I can be a little dim too, I guess. At least according to Wade." She stopped and smiled when she mentioned Wade.

"Wade has told me a lot about you, how you diagnosed his mom and tried to help Earl. He told me I was a lot like you. The more I learn about you, the more I hope that's true. It sounds like you were a pretty good guy, despite the whole affair with a married woman thing. I'm trying really hard to fit in here and be a good doctor. Maybe, maybe it's starting to pay off."

Zoe trailed off but remained seated on the ground, thinking back over the last few months, how different her life was from what she'd planned it to be and how oddly right it all seemed. Bluebell really wasn't so bad and each day, it seemed like a new person spared her a smile on the sidewalk or let her treat them when Brick was busy. She still wanted to be a surgeon, but if things didn't work out, she didn't think it would be so bad, being a general practitioner at the practice her father had founded. The sun was sinking low in the sky when she finally stood to go home.

"I won't wait so long to visit next time," Zoe promised Harley. She weaved through the gravestone on her way back to the gate, her mind already racing ahead to her to-do list to prepare for Thanksgiving. She was nearly to the gate when she stopped dead in her tracks in front of a simple white tombstone.

_Mary Ellen Marks Kinsella  
>June 30, 1964 – October 15, 1996<br>And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love –1 Corinthians 13:13_

Zoe smiled sadly at Wade's mother's grave. Mary Ellen was just 32 when she passed away, barely older than she and Wade were now. Zoe squatted down to get a closer look and noticed a few fresh flowers had been laid there. For a moment, she thought perhaps Wade had been there but then a small, empty whiskey bottle caught her eye and she knew it had been Earl. She reached out and collected the bottle to throw away. She stood and took one last look, feeling a weird kinship to the piece of granite. She found herself wondering what kind of person Mary Ellen had been as she walked home, what kind of mother and wife she had been. Those thoughts were driven out of her mind when Burt Reynolds crossed her path.

* * *

><p>"Honey, it's not hard," Didi told her while she stirred a pot on the stove. "Just fill that pot there up with water like I told you, bring it to a boil, then pour in the noodles. Follow that recipe I have you and that's all you need to do."<p>

"Last time I tried to cook noodles, there was smoke," Zoe told her seriously.

"Technically, that was the ground beef," Wade spoke up. He was sitting at the counter, peeling potatoes.

"See? Wade was a witness."

"Also her savior."

"Shut up, Wade," Zoe said. "And besides, it's not the noodles I'm worried about. It's melting all this cheese and butter without burning anything down. You seriously don't understand what you're asking me to do."

"Hon, you just put the cheese and the butter in the pot and stir until it melts. It's as simple as it can be."

"You've got a lot of faith in her, Didi," Wade said. "You didn't try her gumbo."

"Neither did you," Zoe reminded him. She bit back the urge to bring up the fact that he'd made the gumbo entered under her name. She had tried to bring it up to him a time or two since Lavon had let it slip over the weekend, but she couldn't get herself to do it. If he wanted her to know, he would have told her.

"Lavon's reaction was all I needed," Wade retorted. "Burt Reynolds enjoyed it though."

"Burt Reynolds nearly enjoyed me last night," Zoe said, putting her pot of water on the stove and turning on the heat.

"You need to be nicer to my alligator," Lavon said, entering the kitchen from somewhere else in the house. "You be nice to him, he'll be nice to you."

"You act like he's some cute and cuddly puppy dog," Zoe said.

"Just as good as one. 'Cept he walks himself and I ain't got to clean up after him." Lavon went to work as bartender, pouring coffee for all of them instead of alcohol as it wasn't lunchtime yet. Zoe focused on the macaroni and cheese that had been assigned to her, checking and re-checking the recipe Didi had provided.

"Is this good?" she asked, peering into the cheesy mixture she'd been creating while her noodles boiled. Wade was closest so he looked over her shoulder. "You smell really good," she added, getting a whiff of Wade's cologne as he leaned close.

"Thanks, Doc," he said. "Decided I'd take a shower for the occasion." Zoe made a face at him as he reached around her to stir the cheese. "Well Dr. Hart, you managed to melt cheese and butter on the stove. Consider yourself a gourmet chef."

"Get out of the way," Zoe told him, shoving him away from the stove. Didi and Lavon exchanged grins. One of their favorite things to discuss lately had been when Wade and Zoe would admit they had feelings for the other. It was clear they had gotten closer, their relationship developing naturally. Lavon expected any day now to walk into his kitchen and find them all over each other.

Zoe went to work, adding her ingredients to the crockpot as instructed by the recipe. She wasn't so sure about the sour cream and didn't have a clue what dry mustard was, but she measured them out exactly, checking and double checking the recipe as she went. She set the crockpot on high and put the lid on, checking the time. Per the recipe it would take 3 hours, finishing up just in time for dinner. She had her doubts, but she

"What next?" she asked, taking her coffee from Lavon.

"Peel the rest of these potatoes," Wade told her, pushing the bowl towards her. "I'll start on the deviled eggs." Zoe situated herself on a stool where she could see the TV as she worked. She'd turned on the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade earlier and had been stealing moments watching it every chance she got for glimpses of New York.

Wade watched her as he put eggs on to boil. Didi finished up the dish she was working on and she and Lavon mumbled some excuse about needing to go outside for a few minutes. Wade crossed the kitchen to where Zoe sat and leaned on the counter across from her.

"You really miss it," he commented. Zoe quickly snatched up the potato she had abandoned as she watched the Snoopy balloon be navigated down the streets of her city.

"Miss what?" she asked.

"New York."

Zoe almost lied. She almost told him she didn't even if she was certain he'd know she was lying. But Wade had let her in, told her about his family. She knew she could be honest with him, confess how much she missed her home.

"I miss it," she agreed. "It's the only home I've ever known."

"What do you miss the most?" Wade pressed. Zoe thought about it.

"The noise," she finally said. "I used to lay in bed at night with my window open and just let the sounds of the city lull me to sleep. The sirens, the cars, the hum of hundreds of people on the streets around my building… It's beautiful this time of year, too. All the stores are putting up their decorations and decorating their windows. The Christmas tree is in Rockefeller Center, waiting to be lit. And it's cold. Wearing shorts in November is unheard of."

"Sounds amazing," Wade said. Zoe smiled at him.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," she said, catching on that nothing she told him about her city would impress him. He would never be at home somewhere outside of Bluebell. He smiled, revealing that she was right. He nodded at the TV.

"You probably went to that every year," he said.

"The parade? No, actually. I've never been, believe it or not. My mom always has these fancy dinner parties for clients and potential clients and my – dad – was always working. Then they got divorced – which I now know happed right after he found out I wasn't his – and if he managed to call on the holidays I was happy. I used to watch it in my room while Mom ordered the caterers and wait staff around downstairs. I could sometimes see the balloons from my window, but that's as close as I've ever gotten."

"Probably a good thing," Wade said seriously. "You mighta crashed the Tom the Turkey float or somethin.'" Zoe threw a potato peel at him. He dodged it, laughing.

"I had a good reason," she said. "There was something I had to take care of."

"And a simple 'Hey Wade? Pull over' wouldn't have worked?"

"Not in that case," Zoe told him. She refused to tell Lavon or Wade why she'd gone about wrecking the float, citing doctor/patient confidentiality. She watched him check the eggs on the stove and then the turkey in the oven.

"You didn't learn to cook a turkey at the Rammer Jammer," Zoe commented.

"Technically, Didi is cooking the turkey," he reminded her.

"You know what I mean."

"I told you, Doc, I picked up some things at the Rammer Jammer."

"Deviled eggs aren't on the menu." Wade sighed.

"My momma was a good cook," he said. "I used to hang out with her in the kitchen. I just remember a couple of things, that's all."

"Speaking of your mother, care to tell me why you're here in Bluebell instead of up in Mobile with your sister and her family?" Zoe asked. Wade shrugged.

"I'll go up there for Christmas," he replied. "Take the kids their gifts, put in my time."

"You act like you're going to prison," Zoe commented.

"'Bout the same from what I can tell." Wade looked at her. "Not like you have room to talk, seein' as you're here instead of in New York. Hell, you ain't even talkin' to your momma."

"She lied to me my entire life. I have a right to be mad at her."

Wade just shrugged and took the eggs off the stove. He didn't agree with Zoe's attitude towards her mother but he knew trying to reason with her on the subject was a lost cause. He let it drop and turned his attention to dinner, especially when football started. He just didn't have the same sort of passion for the game as Lavon, Zoe and most of Bluebell. Zoe cheered while Lavon yelled and Didi just rolled her eyes.

"You're missing a great game!" Zoe called to them. "Detroit just intercepted and ran it back to the 9 yard line. If they score, they'll tie it up. Green Bay is going down!"

"Hush, girl," Lavon said, never looking away from the TV.

"Ain't the man supposed to be watching football and the woman supposed to be in the kitchen?" Didi asked Wade.

"Dr. Hart don't follow any other rule, why'd she follow that one?" he replied. The clock expired on the first half of the game.

"Halftime," Lavon announced, clapping his hands together. "Who wants beer and who wants wine?"

"Beer," Wade answered.

"Wine," both Didi and Zoe replied. Zoe walked over to the crockpot to check her macaroni. She lifted the lid and stirred it with a spoon.

"I think it's done," she announced. "Someone try it for me?"

Didi was busy with the last of the casseroles and kept her back to Zoe. Lavon and Wade exchanged looks.

"It's your turn," Lavon told him as he passed him a beer.

"How's it my turn?" he asked. Zoe frowned, offended that they were going to argue over who had to try the one dish she'd been put in charge of.

"I tried her gumbo. That should give me a lifetime pass on trying anything Zoe Hart cooks."

"I saved your kitchen from ruin the last time she cooked. You owe me," Wade argued.

"Someone try the damn macaroni!" Zoe stated. Lavon and Wade looked at each other. Lavon raised an eyebrow and nodded at the crockpot. Just like Lavon knew he would, Wade sighed and turned to Zoe.

"The only reason I'm doin' this is 'cause you're a doctor and you have to try and save me if find myself in a life-threatening situation after I eat this."

"Shut up and try it," Zoe said, holding out the spoon with a few macaroni noodles on it. Wade leaned down and timidly tasted the macaroni off the end of the spoon. Zoe watched his face, hopeful but not expecting a pleasant reaction. Wade chewed, his face one of surprise – the same sort of surprise Lavon had worn when he'd tried her gumbo. "How bad is it?" she asked, clearly disappointed.

"Actually, it's good," Wade said. "Real good." Zoe shook her head.

"Don't lie to me," she told him.

"I'm not," he insisted. "It's actually really good."

"It is?" Zoe asked, not quite believing him.

"It is?" Lavon echoed. He opened the utensil drawer and retrieved a fork. "Let me try it," he said. He speared a forkful, blew on it to cool it off, and then popped it into his mouth. Zoe waited for his reaction.

"Well, Big Z, it looks like you done finally found something you can cook," he said. Zoe's eyes lit up.

"Really?" she asked. "It's actually good? As in, it's edible and everything?"

"It's a Thanksgiving miracle," Lavon announced.

"And I didn't even have to pull out the 'ol fire extinguisher," Wade added, smiling at Zoe. She smiled back in a self-satisfied kind of way.

"I told you you could do it," Didi said, removing the turkey from the oven. "All you had to do was follow the recipe. You keep doing that and soon you'll be able to cook most anything. That's how I learned." She opened the pantry and scanned the shelves. "Did anyone think to get cranberry sauce?" Wade, Zoe and Lavon all shook their heads no. "Well we can't have Thanksgiving dinner without cranberry sauce," she said.

"Ain't the grocery store open half the day?" Wade asked, already heading towards the door. "I'll go pick up a couple cans."

"Thanks, Wade," Didi replied. He nodded at her and then looked at Zoe.

"Want to go?" he asked. Zoe glanced at the TV.

"Will we be back in time for the second half?" Wade rolled his eyes.

"That don't matter," Didi said. "Zoe is settin' the table and Lavon, I need you to help me with this turkey."

"And there are my marching orders," Zoe commented. Wade grinned.

"I'll be back," he announced on his way out the door.

* * *

><p>Nearly an hour later, Wade still hadn't returned.<p>

"Where is he?" Didi asked, tapping her fingernails on the counter impatiently. "Everything else is ready. I need to get that cranberry sauce so I can put the rolls in the oven."

"Think he's okay?" Zoe asked, feeling a little anxious. It should have been a short trip, 15, 20 minutes round trip for just a couple cans of cranberry sauce. Irrational images of his Camaro overturned in a ditch between the store and plantation filled her head. She did her best to push them away, not sure where they were coming from. Besides, she was the town doctor. She was even on call. Surely she would have been called if something had happened to Wade.

A few minutes later, the rumble of his car was heard. She breathed a sigh of relief, wondering why she'd been so worried in the first place.

"Sorry it took me so long," he said as he opened the door carrying a small bag. "I, uh, found someone walkin' along the road and it took me a little bit to convince 'em I won't some axe murderer or anythin' like that." He pushed the door open and stepped inside. A well-dressed woman who looked travel-worn and extremely out of place followed him in. Zoe gasped.

"Mom!"

* * *

><p><strong>So Zoe gets to keep the practice another quarter at least, Wade learned to cook from his Momma, Zoe successfully cooks something (using my favorite Paula Deen recipe for mac and cheese!) and Mrs. Hart has shown up... Dun Dun Dun...<strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	9. All Your Life

**WHEW. This is the longest update yet, but it's one of the updates I've been looking forward to writing since I started this thing so I'm SO excited to get it posted now. I owe a lot of you a reply to your reviews and I'll get to them ASAP - silly real life, keeping me busy - but I want you to know how much I appreciate all of your reviews and support. It means the world to me. Y'all are so wonderful! **

**This update was inspired by The Band Perry's "All Your Life."  
><strong>

**THINGS I OWN: The world's most sensitive smoke detector. My neighbors probably think I can't cook. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>"What are you doing here?" Zoe demanded.<p>

"You decided not to come to New York for the holiday – or answer the phone, for that matter – so I came to you," her mother answered.

"Waste of a trip," Zoe mumbled. She picked up her wine glass and drained it.

"Mrs. Hart, come on in," Lavon said, shooting Zoe a disapproving look. She ignored him and reached for the wine bottle. Didi pulled it out of her reach.

"Please, Mayor Hayes, call me Sybil," Zoe's mom said, stepping further into the kitchen. Wade shut the door behind her.

"Only if you call me Lavon," Lavon answered. He took the coat she was wearing despite the comfortable temperatures outside.

"Should've left her for Burt Reynolds," Zoe muttered to Wade as he passed her with the cranberry sauce.

"Play nice, Doc, it's a holiday," he muttered back. Zoe glared at him. He knew she'd be angry when he turned up with her mother, but when he'd seen the woman attempting to navigate the road to the plantation in heels, her Louis Vuitton luggage dragging along behind her, he knew she had to be connected to Zoe Hart somehow.

"Well, Mom, it was nice of you to come all the way down here and all, but we were about to sit down to dinner. I'm sure if you head back into town, you'll be able to find a room at the Bluebell Inn. There might even be Wi-Fi so you can schedule your flight back to New York for first thing tomorrow."

"Now that's just foolish," Lavon said. "Sybil, you'll be joining us for dinner. There is far more food than four people can eat. And besides, it's Thanksgiving."

Zoe opened her mouth to argue.

"That's right," Didi cut in. "We'll have Zoe set another place. I'm Didi, by the way." Wade had the good sense to remain quiet.

"Zoe, grab your momma a plate and a set of utensils, will you? Sybil, what it'll be? Wine?" Lavon said, moving to the drink station he'd set up earlier.

"Oh I really can't impose…," Sybil started.

"Yeah, she really can't," Zoe agreed.

"I am the mayor of this town and I am making an executive decision," Lavon stated. "Sybil, you're staying for dinner. Zoe, set her a place." Zoe made a production of setting another place, slamming cabinet doors and dropping the plate on the table.

"Looks like we might need to set up a kids table," Wade said in an undertone as he placed the turkey in the center of the table. Zoe was acting childish and he didn't mind calling her out on it.

"This is your fault," Zoe hissed back.

"Just gave her a ride, Doc, that's all," Wade reminded her.

Dinner was tense, at least as far as Zoe was concerned. She had tried to maneuver so she was sitting on the side of the table where only one place was set, but Wade beat her to it, a move Zoe was sure was on purpose. For everyone else, the meal was pleasant enough as Sybil told them about some of her recent PR work and Lavon, Didi and Wade filled her in on Bluebell. Zoe spoke when spoken to and not a word more, her wine supply suspiciously cut off after she downed a second glass just since sitting down to the table. She blamed Wade for that too, even though she had seen Lavon take the bottle into the kitchen.

She knew her anger towards Wade was displaced. All he did was give her mother a ride. Wade would have likely stopped and offered help to anyone he seen walking by themselves, not just a woman Zoe didn't think he even knew was her mother. But he was sitting across from her, being the perfect gentleman and she could admit, looking handsome in a light blue button down and a pair of dark wash jeans, and all she could focus on was the fact that he'd been the one to bring her mother to Lavon's and because of that, he had interrupted what up until that point had been a perfectly good Thanksgiving, making the whole thing his fault.

"This macaroni and cheese is delicious," Sybil commented.

"Zoe made it, actually," Lavon said. He looked at Zoe, clearly expecting her to join in the conversation. She put a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth and ignored him.

"Zoe, you made this?" Sybil asked. "No offense, sweetheart, but your cooking has been less than subpar in the past. I'm impressed."

"Your parenting has been less than subpar," Zoe replied. "But unlike your skill set as a mother, my cooking skills have room to improve."

"Zoe," her mother warned. Zoe shrugged and continued eating.

"Mrs. Hart, how long are you planning to be in town?" Wade asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well my ticket has me flying out of Mobile on Sunday, but I'm willing to stay longer should I need to." She looked pointedly at Zoe who rolled her eyes.

"Where are you planning on staying while you're in town?" Didi asked.

"With Zoe, of course," Sybil answered.

"I've already recommended the Bluebell Inn," Zoe said, glaring at her mother.

"Your place may be small, but it's plenty big for the both of us for a few days," Sybil told her, holding Zoe's eyes with her own.

"Size isn't the problem," Zoe answered, not breaking eye contact. "I don't want you there."

"Zoe," her mother warned again, her eyes getting bigger to indicate that she was embarrassing her.

"What, Mom? Don't want to air the family's dirty laundry out in front of the good people of Bluebell?"

"There is a time and a place for this conversation. The dinner table on Thanksgiving in front of strangers is not it."

"Say, Doc, who won the Packers game today? I missed the end," Wade asked, making an effort once again to change the subject.

"The Packers," Zoe answered shortly. Wade nodded, already at a loss for what to say next. "And these are not strangers. They're my friends. Besides making me feel welcomed in Bluebell, they've been kind enough to tell me about my father, seeing as I never got a chance to know him. You know, since I didn't know he was my dad and all."

"Zoe, not now," Sybil said again.

"Why not?" Zoe burst out. "Why not? You're here. You obviously want something. So what is it? What do you want from me? Because that's always what it's about, isn't it? It's always about what you need. So what, Mother, do you need to make yourself feel better about lying to me my entire life? Forgiveness? Done. We're there. You can go now."

Lavon and Didi busied themselves with their plates, clearly uncomfortable. Wade did the same, but kept stealing glances at Zoe. He was surprised they'd made it this far into dinner without an outburst from her.

"I'm here because we need to talk," Sybil answered. "And since you're not willing to go to therapy and talk about this like normal people, let alone answer your phone, I had to resort to drastic measures."

"Didn't you hear me? I forgave you. You can book your return flight now."

"You didn't mean it."

"And I'm not going to!" Zoe cried out. "You lied to me my entire life. You let me wonder why my dad didn't love me anymore. You had every chance in the world to tell me the truth and you didn't! I spent half of my life trying to find a way to get my dad to pay attention to me when all the while, my real dad was in Bluebell, Alabama! I missed the chance to know him because of you! You're upset because I won't speak to you? Well, I'm upset because I don't even know who I am anymore."

Zoe stood from the table and stormed out of the dining room. Sybil called after her but knew better than to follow. A moment later, the sound of a door slamming echoed throughout the house.

"I'm so sorry," Sybil said to the table, her cheeks red from embarrassment. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to disturb your holiday like this. I just, well I thought Zoe would be spending the day alone."

"It's okay," Lavon said. "You and Zoe obviously have some issues to work out."

"I should go see if she's okay," Sibyl said, making to stand.

"No," Wade spoke up. "Give her some time to cool off." Sybil looked ready to argue with him but a moment later, she gave a resigned sigh and sat back down, knowing he was right. She continued to apologize for Zoe's behavior and interrupting Thanksgiving dinner, Lavon and Didi telling her over and over no harm was done.

Wade remained quiet, sipping his beer and picking at his food. He'd seen Zoe mad before. He'd seen her furious, even. He'd been on the receiving end of her temper more than his fair share of times. But what he'd just seen in her was something different. She was not only a shade of anger past anything he could identify, she was also deeply hurt. He could see it in her eyes as she'd yelled. It was all he could do not to chase after her himself and make sure she was okay, but he instinctively knew she needed to be alone and so he would remain at the dinner table against his own wishes.

"How about we have us some dessert?" Didi asked in an effort to get dinner back on track. "I'll put on some coffee too."

"That's a great idea," Lavon said. He asked Sybil for her thoughts on what he could do to better promote tourism in Bluebell and with that, it was as though the argument with her daughter had never happened.

* * *

><p>Zoe sat on the top porch step, surrounded by darkness. She had left the main house in a fit of rage and had walked the entire perimeter of the plantation. Having calmed down some, she was embarrassed about her behavior at dinner and knew she owed everyone an apology. But she couldn't believe her mother had the nerve to show up in Bluebell, intrude on her plans and her home, and not expect her to be angry.<p>

It was typical Sybil Hart. Zoe had no doubts about where she got her determination from. She set her mind to something and made it happen, same as he mother. She had also inherited her mother's temper although while her mother had mastered controlling hers, she had yet to get the hang of it, as evidenced by her outburst at the dinner table.

She had no choice but to at least hear her mother out. She knew Sibyl hadn't been kidding when she'd said she'd be staying as long as it took. She was still sitting on the porch steps, composing the speech she would deliver to her mother when Wade pulled up at his place. Zoe watched as he got out of his car and made for her side of the pond.

"Let me guess," she said when he was close enough. "You all drew straws to decide who had to come check on me and you lost."

"I offered," Wade answered. He climbed the stairs and sat down beside her. "I figured you'd rather see me than your mom. But she ain't far behind, I don't think."

"If you're here to try and convince me to talk to her…," Zoe started. Wade shook his head.

"I ain't known you all that long, but I know you well enough to know you wouldn't listen if I tried." He reached in his pocket and pulled out two pouches of candy. He held one out to Zoe. She allowed a small smile to play across her lips.

"Sour Patch Kids," she said, taking a pouch from him. "Thank you."

"No problem," Wade answered, opening his bag. "I picked them up when I was out gettin' the cranberry sauce for DiDi. 'Course I hadn't planned on using them to cheer you up at the time. Thought I'd keep 'em on hand to shut you up the next time I blew the fuse box." Zoe's smile grew a little bigger as she opened her bag and shook a couple into her hand. They had discovered their mutual love of Sour Patch Kids when she had tagged along with him to the Quik-Stop the week before.

They sat in silence for a while, eating their candy and Wade letting Zoe decide if she wanted to say anything about what happened.

"I can't believe she'd just show up here," Zoe finally said. "I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised. She did this when I was in college. We'd fight, I'd hang up the phone or storm out of our penthouse, wouldn't answer her phone calls. A few days later, I'd come back to my dorm and find her waiting on my bed. She wouldn't leave until I talked to her."

"I wondered where you got that stubborn streak," Wade commented. "Knew it won't from Harley."

"She just doesn't get it," Zoe said, ignoring Wade's comment. "This isn't her refusing to give me extra spending money so I can buy a new dress or me getting mad because she won't let me go to Aspen with my friends for Christmas. This is her, lying to me about my entire existence. I deserve to be mad."

"Yeah, you do," Wade agreed.

"She thinks she can just waltz into town and I'm going to listen to everything she has to say and forgive her for lying to me my whole life. It doesn't work like that. I get to be mad. I get to not speak to her and not listen to her. I get to say mean things and I get to be selfish. It's only fair."

"You know, Doc, I don't think anyone faults you for being mad," Wade said. "But I reckon they do fault you for not at least hearing what your momma has to say." Zoe looked at him.

"Do you think I should hear what she has to say?" she demanded. Wade chose his words carefully.

"I think that you still have a momma," he said. "You can work things out with her or you can't, that's up to you. But maybe one day, something happens in your life – you get that fellowship you're chasin' after or maybe you meet someone special – and all you really want is to tell her all about it or them or whatever, but you go to pick up the phone and you realize she's not there. You can't tell her about this person who brightens your day just by smiling at you because she's not there anymore. She's gone. That's what I think." Zoe sighed and covered her face with her hands.

"When did you become Dr. Phil?" she asked.

"Just speaking from experience," Wade answered. Zoe uncovered her face and looked at Wade.

"You want to know the real reason I didn't go to New York for Thanksgiving?" Wade waited. "I have this whole side of my family, this whole group of people who love me, who send birthday cards and Christmas gifts and emails asking when I'm coming to visit, and they're not even related to me. They have no idea I'm not one of them. How do you tell them that? How do you tell your cousin who's been one of your best friends since you were in diapers that actually, you're not related at all?"

Wade thought about it. Zoe had always seemed so strong, so okay with the hand she'd been dealt. He was starting to see she wasn't so okay after all and really, he thought, who would be? She'd grown up idolizing a man who wasn't her father and who distanced himself from her the moment he found out the truth. Her real father was dead and left her a medical practice a world away from everything she'd ever known. Her life had been turned upside down in the span of just a few days. It was a wonder she got herself out of bed every morning, really.

"Well, they've been your family this long, that's got to mean something, right?" he said.

"My dad had been my dad for 10 years. Then he found out the truth and he stopped loving me," Zoe reminded him. "What's to say his family won't do the same?" Wade didn't have an answer for her.

"You know, for what it's worth, it was kinda fun watchin' you yell at someone else for a change," he said instead.

"What?" Zoe asked, surprised by the sudden change in topic.

"Listenin' to you yell at your mom? That was a nice change of pace. Usually it's me you're hollerin' at."

"You usually deserve it."

"Usually," Wade agreed. "But sometimes you're a bit more upset than the situation calls for." Zoe smiled, remembering the first time he'd told her that. And the kiss that had followed. She looked at him.

"You made my gumbo," she stated. She could tell by Wade's face that it was the last thing he was expecting to hear come out of her mouth.

"What gumbo?" he asked, avoiding her eyes.

"The gumbo that was entered under my name at the gumbo cookoff," she reminded him. "Your Uncle Moe's recipe."

"I didn't…"

"Wade," Zoe stopped him. "Lavon told on you. Accidentally, but still, he told on you." Wade sighed.

"Damn Mayor, having to be all honest," he mumbled. Zoe could tell he didn't particularly like that she knew the truth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Wade shook his head and continued to avoid her eyes.

"It's not a big deal," he said.

"You were up all night making that stuff."

"It's not a big deal," he said again.

"Wade."

"I don't want credit for it," he said. "I just… I knew how hard you were tryin' to fit in and I figured entering the gumbo contest then not showin' up with gumbo wouldn't do you any favors." He didn't dare tell her Shelley's advice about romantic gestures had spurred him to do it. He felt her hand land on his knee and he finally raised his eyes to hers.

"That was really sweet," she told him sincerely. "Thank you." He shrugged.

"It's not a big deal," he said yet again.

"Seriously though, why did you let me think it was Lavon all this time?" she asked. Thinking back, Lavon had been about to correct her when Wade had walked up with his 'the things you do for a girl' talk. She couldn't understand why he had deflected. Sitting there, her hand on his knee, she wondered if what Shelley had said in the waiting room of the clinic was really true. Maybe he did like her. And maybe she liked him. But those thoughts would have to wait until she could sort out her issues with her mother. One thing at a time was all she could handle.

"You didn't need my help," he answered. "'Sides, I felt bad about this." He reached out to where her hand was resting on his knee and brushed his thumb across the two small scars left behind by the fangs of a copperhead. "Still do, actually."

"I don't know about that," Zoe said seriously, ignoring the goose bumps that had erupted with Wade's touch. "My getting bit by a snake let you cop a feel." Wade laughed.

"That was an accident," he said.

"Of course."

"It was," he said, looking at her. "I'm a gentleman." Zoe gave him a look that said she didn't necessarily believe him. He was ready to stage his argument when headlights flooded the porch stoop. Zoe moved her hand from his knee to shield her eyes. Lavon's navigator stopped in front of her house and he and her mother got out.

"Great," Zoe mumbled as Wade stood.

"If you need to get away or need help hiding the body, I'm just over there," he told her nodding towards his house. Zoe smiled and nodded before standing to face her mother. Neither of them spoke as Lavon carried her bags past Zoe and into the house. Sybil gave her a long, hard look and then followed him. Zoe crossed her arms and remained outside, buying herself just a few more minutes as she watched Wade make his way to his house.

"For what it's worth, I did offer to let her stay up at the house," Lavon said, coming outside. "But she insisted on staying here. Don't know why. Her daughter isn't exactly a welcoming hostess." Zoe sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said, turning to face him. "I just… She was there and she took me by surprise. I handled it badly. I know we need to talk things out and I'm going to try. Trying is the bet I can do."

"Good," Lavon answered. "Trying is a good start."

"I really am sorry about dinner," Zoe said. "That was unnecessary."

"Just talk to your momma and we'll forget it ever happened," Lavon told her. He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

"Tell Didi I'm sorry too," she said.

"Will do," Lavon answered as climbed back into his navigator. "Do me a favor though?" Zoe nodded. "If you do kill her, don't hide the body on my property. It wouldn't look good when re-election comes up." Zoe grinned as Lavon pulled away. When she could no longer see his taillights, she turned and went inside. She found her mother unpacking her suitcase.

"Okay," she said. Sibyl turned to face her daughter, looking surprised to be spoken to. "You want to talk? Let's talk."

"I don't… I don't know – where to begin," Sibyl admitted

"How about with why?" Zoe replied. "Why didn't you tell me the truth? Why did you hide it for so long? Why did you even sleep with another man when you were already married in the first place? And why should I forgive you?"

Sibyl took a deep breath. "Why is a good place to start," she said. She motioned towards Zoe's couch. "Can we sit?" Zoe nodded and purposefully took the arm chair to keep some distance between them. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them and waited for her mother to begin. They were in for a long night.

* * *

><p>"A shot of bourbon, please," Zoe said, walking up to the Rammer Jammer counter. Wade tossed the rag he'd been using aside.<p>

"You sure, Doc?" he asked. "I could mix you up an appletini, maybe pour you some wine – not from a box."

"I've spent hours and hours and hours with my mother," Zoe answered. "A shot of bourbon, now." Wade obliged, more than a little curious to see if Zoe could actually handle a shot. While she waited, she looked around the Rammer Jammer to see who was there. The usual crowd was gathered around, most of them watching football. In the corner was a burly man she didn't recognize.

"Who's that?" she asked, tilting her head in the man's direction. Wade sat her shot down in front of her.

"Don't know," he answered. "He's been sittin' there a while, drinkin' on that same beer. Probably just passin' through." That was good enough for Zoe. She picked up her shot and tossed it back. "Ohh, big girl," Wade said, grinning as Zoe made a face and patted her chest as the liquid burned its way down. "Need another one?" Zoe shook her head.

"One is good," she said, still patting her chest. Wade chuckled.

"How are things?" he asked. He'd been hyper aware of the fact that nearly an entire day had passed without so much as a whiff of Zoe Hart.

"Better," Zoe answered. "Still a long way to go, but better." He nodded.

"Good."

"Don't get too comfortable though. You still might have to help me hide a body. She's still got a day and two nights before her flight leaves. Not that I'm counting." Wade laughed and Zoe smiled, playing with her empty shot glass.

She and her mother had talked until the wee hours of the morning, sometimes yelling, sometimes with tears, but they had made real progress before sleeping a few hours. Sybil, who had never been able to sleep well in a strange place, had woke early and insisted on dragging Zoe to Mobile for Black Friday sales, a practice neither of them had ever engaged in before. Her wardrobe and home décor expanded drastically, Zoe had taken off for the Rammer Jammer almost the moment the car service her mother had hired for the day had dropped them off at the plantation in desperate need of some time to herself.

"Hey Wade," came a voice Zoe didn't recognize. She turned to see a scantily dressed blond leaning on the bar a few feet away, obviously trying to win Wade's attention. A weird feeling ran through Zoe, one that felt strangely like jealousy. Wade nodded politely at the blond.

"Hey, Stephanie," he said, turning back to Zoe.

"If you ain't busy, you should come and join us," Stephanie said, motioning to the group of friends she was with. Zoe wondered if it were possible for the girl's shirt to be cut any lower or her jeans to be any tighter. She was also painfully aware that she herself was wearing her favorite pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt with her Wellies, her hair hanging limp around her face after a long day of shopping. As icing on the cake, she was pretty sure there were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.

"I'm good right here," Wade said with another nodded of his head to dismiss the girl. Zoe, feeling obligated to say something, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"If you want…," she started. Wade shook his head and reached out to play with her hand that was resting on the bar.

"I'm already talkin' to the prettiest girl in the room," he said with a smile. Zoe grinned and looked away, the faintest shade of red colored her cheeks. Wade wondered where the stroke of courage for him to say that had come from and wished it would stick around as his fingers slowly laced with Zoe's. Zoe looked back at him, biting down on her bottom lip.

She could kiss him. He was close enough. All she had to do was lean forward just a little and her lips would be on his and she'd know for sure that the feelings bubbling just below the surface were real. All she had to do was take a chance, a leap of faith. She leaned toward him. Wade moved towards her.

"Wade, I'm off," came Shelley's voice. Zoe blew out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and swore she heard Wade curse under his breath as he pulled his hand free of hers.

"Remember you're comin' in early tomorrow," Wade told her. "It's the Iron Bowl." Zoe wondered why Wade was the one reminding her she had an early start time, but figured Shelley being Shelley, the whole staff had probably reminded her at some point that night.

"Yeah, yeah, Alabama and Auburn, lots of drinking, fighting breaks out…," Shelley said, waving a hand.

"One of the busiest days of the year," Wade countered. A big group of men in camouflage, clearly looking to end a day of hunting with a few beers and maybe something to eat, came through the door.

"I'll be here," Shelley told him. She turned to Zoe. "You leavin' soon?" she asked. "I can give you a ride if you are. You can tell me what you bought today – I heard you and your mom went shopping in Mobile!"

"Absolutely nothing is a secret in this town," Zoe stated as she slid off the bar stool. "But a ride would be great." She looked at Wade who was already moving to help the hunters. "Night, Wade!" she called. He shot her a smile as he reached for several beers.

"Night, Doc," he called back.

"I just need to run by the Quik-Stop real quick. You don't mind, do you?" Shelley asked as the pair headed out of the Rammer Jammer.

"No," Zoe answered, glancing over her shoulder just in time to see Wade blow off the Stephanie girl again and turn to talk to one of the hunters. "I have a few things I could pick up myself."

* * *

><p>Despite being dead tired, Wade whistled as he entered his house after his shift. He'd given up on his plans to not act on his feelings for Zoe Hart. He liked her too much and they had gotten too close in recent weeks for him to just ignore how he felt. Tonight had been the last straw. She'd been about to kiss him until Shelley had to go and ruin it and that fact had cemented his newly found desire to do something about the way she made his heart skip a beat when she walked into a room.<p>

If he let himself think about it too much, he knew he'd change his mind. He had a list of reasons they shouldn't be together, including the fact that he didn't know what would happen if and when she went back to New York. But he was never one to think things through but so much and now that his mind was made up to pursue Zoe, he'd have to figure out a way to summon up the courage he'd need to ask her out on a date.

He turned on the light in his kitchenette and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. Stretching as he yawned, he moved to turn off the light when he seen a bag of Sour Patch Kids laying on his counter. He picked up the bag of candy along with the note Zoe had left.

_I would have made gumbo but… - Z _

Smiling, he dropped the candy along with the note back on the counter and turned off the light. He would be having sweet dreams tonight.

* * *

><p>Someone shouted.<p>

A door slammed.

Zoe gasped and bolted upright on the sofa, suddenly wide awake from a deep sleep.

"What on earth?" came her mother's voice. Zoe looked over her shoulder to see her mother sitting up in her bed.

There was more shouting.

An unfamiliar car engine roared to life.

Zoe threw off her blanket and ran for her front door, her mother not far behind her.

There was more shouting, followed by the sound of car tires screeching and gravel flying.

Zoe burst onto her front porch and rushed down the porch stairs, catching a glimpse of taillights disappearing in the distance. Wade was rushing down his porch steps and towards his car, pulling on a shirt as he went.

"Wade!" she called. He stopped in his tracks and turned.

"Get in the house!" he shouted back. "Go inside, lock the doors, and don't let anyone in you don't know." He turned towards his car.

"Why?" Zoe asked. Wade glanced over his shoulder in the direction the car had disappeared in.

"Dammit! I don't have time to explain!" he yelled. "Just do what you're told for once!" Zoe didn't move. Wade had never raised his voice at her, even when she probably deserved it. He was agitated, anxious, as he inched closer to her car. It scared her, not because he was yelling but because his tone told her she needed to be afraid. "Just please, go inside!"

"Zoe, come on!" her mother called, taking Wade's words to heart.

"Go!" Wade shouted across their yard. There was desperation in his voice.

"Zoe!" her mother said again. With a final look at Wade, Zoe turned and ran up the porch steps, pushing her mother into the house in front of her. She slammed the door and turned the lock.

"What's going on?" Sibyl asked, pulling the robe she'd thrown on tighter around her.

"I don't know," Zoe said, leaning against the door. She looked over her shoulder and out the door's window as Wade's taillights disappeared down the dusty back road at a high rate of speed. She turned back to her mother, her eyes wide. "I have no idea."

* * *

><p><strong>In the words of my co-worker .time. he calls our account executive in a given day - What is going on?<strong>

**Thank you for reading and reviewing!**


	10. Let Me Down Easy

**To say y'all blew me away with the response to my last chapter is an understatement. I couldn't believe it - the reviews, the alerts, all of it. AMAZING. I still owe a few replies, but please, know that I am so sincere when I say thank you! This was a doozy of an update to write, but here it is - the longest one yet! And I really really hope it meets your expectations. **

**This update is based on Billy Currington's "Let Me Down Easy." I love the soundtrack on Hart of Dixie and I think that this song was playing in the second ep during Wade and Zoe's scene at his house is pretty telling. **

**THINGS I OWN: A new obsession with saying 'Fancy Fix.' Thanks, New Girl. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>An hour passed and then two. As the minute hand ticked ever closer to a third hour, Zoe dialed Wade for what she was sure made an even dozen times. Again, she got his voice mail. She hung up without leaving a message.<p>

"Still nothing?" her mother asked. Zoe responded by holding up the phone to show no one was on the other end. Sybil sighed and went back to her iPad. She had been working on the device for the last hour, too anxious to do anything but keep herself busy.

Zoe stood and resumed her path around the carriage house, glancing out of the windows as she passed them. She had been alternating between pacing and calling Wade ever since he'd taken off. The more time that passed, the more anxious she became. Headlights flooded her house momentarily. Zoe stopped at a window and watched as a police car turned around in her yard and headed back down the road away from her house.

Like clockwork, every thirty minutes one of Bluebell's officers would drive up to Wade's, circle around to her house, turn around in her yard, and drive away. Once, an Alabama State Trooper had driven up, let the car idle for several minutes, and then drove away. She had been tempted to go outside and demand to know what was going on but Wade's words telling her to remain locked inside stuck with her and out of her growing fear, she did what he'd asked. She had taken to calling Lavon and even George Tucker after that. Certainly the Mayor and only lawyer in all of Bluebell knew what was going on if the police were involved. But like Wade, they didn't answer.

She'd always had a strong intuition. More than one attending physician had told her as much while she was going through her residency after witnessing her rely on instincts and gut feelings when tests results weren't enough to diagnose a patient. Now, pacing the floor of her carriage house, her gut was telling her that whatever was going on had to do with her and it wasn't good. She felt like the answer was just out of reach, that she knew what it was but couldn't quite dredge it up. It was the same sort of feeling she identified with trying to recall a date or a name she couldn't remember when taking a history test in college.

Several laps around her small home later, she sat back down on the sofa and picked up her phone again, debating on who to dial next. She was considering calling Addie at home and risking her ire at being awoken in the dead of night over a holiday weekend to see if Bill was involved in whatever was going on when she heard the familiar sound of Wade's car growing louder. She dropped her phone on the sofa and hurried to the door.

"Is that him?" her mother asked, putting aside her iPad.

"Yeah," Zoe answered. She stood by her door and peered around the curtain, watching as Wade's headlights grew closer. He pulled into her yard and cut the engine. She waited until he was climbing her porch stairs before unlocking the door. "What's going on?" she demanded. "I've been trying to call you."

"I know," Wade answered. He looked exhausted, weary. He put a hand on her arm and guided her back inside, closing the door behind him.

"Wade, this isn't funny anymore," Zoe said, spinning around to face him. She was tired, confused, and sick of being left in the dark. "What's going on? There are police cars circling my yard every 30 minutes, no one will answer their phone, a state trooper showed up… I want you to tell me what's going on and I want you to tell me now." Wade looked from her to her mother who was standing several feet away, waiting for the answers to Zoe's questions.

"You ladies get whatever you'll need for the night. Y'all are gonna stay up at Lavon's," he said. Zoe opened her mouth to protest but he held up his hand to stop her. "We'll explain when we get up there," he told her. Sybil nodded and went to her suitcase, sensing the seriousness of the situation. She was out of her element in Bluebell and in no position to argue.

"Who's 'we?'" Zoe asked, crossing her arms and remaining where she was.

"Not now," Wade answered. "I need to get you up to the house first. Now come on." Zoe looked at him, determined to stare him down until he gave her some sort of answer. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair wearily. "You can do what I'm askin' and come quietly or I can pick you up and carry you out of here myself," he said. "Ain't like it'd be that hard to do."

"Fine," Zoe said, taking pity on how tired he looked. "But you're going to tell me what's going on the second we get to Lavon's." She pulled on her boots, picked up her purse and as an afterthought, went into her bathroom to grab her toothbrush. Her mother was waiting by the door with a small bag, Wade leaning against it to keep himself from collapsing from exhaustion. He pushed himself off the door when she appeared.

"Let's go," he said. He took Zoe by the elbow and led her outside, leaving her mother to follow them. He deposited Zoe in the backseat behind him and helped her mother into the passenger's side. No one said a word as he made the quick drive to Lavon's. This time, he put a protective hand on Zoe's lower back and led her up the stairs into Lavon's kitchen. Lavon met them at the door.

"Everything okay?" he asked Wade in a low voice as he ushered in the Hart women.

"Seems so," Wade answered. "Didn't check my place though. I wanted to get them out of there first." Lavon nodded in agreement. Zoe heard them, but her attention was on the group of people gathered in the living room just beyond the kitchen. George was there as was Sheriff Bill, another Bluebell officer and two men she didn't recognize, one in street clothes, the other in a state trooper's uniform.

"Let's step into the living room," Lavon said. He went to stand behind the sofa next to Bill after indicating that Sybil and Zoe should take a seat. Sybil did so but Zoe remained standing. Wade perched on the arm of a chair near her.

"Okay," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Half of Bluebell is in the Mayor's living room at four o'clock in the morning, a police car is circling my house every 30 minutes and Wade took off like a bat out of hell after yelling at me to stay inside with the doors locked three hours ago. I want to know what's going on and I want to know now." She looked around, waiting for someone to say something.

"Zoe, this is Detective Stevens," Lavon spoke up, motioning to the plain-clothed man in the room. "He's with the FBI. He can fill you in best."

"FBI?" Zoe asked, confused. What was the FBI doing in Bluebell? Detective Stevens stepped forward.

"Ms. Hart…"

"Doctor," Lavon and Wade corrected the detective at the same time.

"Dr. Hart," Detective Stevens started. "What do you know about a man by the name of Judson Lyons?"

"Judson?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow. What did he have to do with anything? "He's the town's vet. We dated briefly, but I broke up with him a few weeks ago. Other than a phone call asking me to reconsider a couple of days later, I haven't seen him or spoken to him since."

"Did anything about Judson stick out as strange to you?" the detective asked. "Any odd or out of the ordinary behaviors? Something that you may have noticed but dismissed as a personality quirk?" Zoe shook her head.

"No, he was…" she trailed off. "Actually, he was on his phone. A lot. He usually said it was work-related, but if that many animals are in need of a doctor around Bluebell, I'm in the wrong line of medicine." Detective Stevens nodded.

"Those most likely weren't work-related phone calls," he said. "Dr. Hart, Judson Lyons is actually a man by the name of William Blackburn. His family and close friends know him as Will but they haven't seen or heard from him in months. The FBI has been trying to catch up with him for quite some time." Zoe frowned.

"What?" she asked. "William Blackburn?"

"Zoe, Judson – or William – is wanted on felony drug charges in three states, four now that he's made trouble in Bluebell," Bill spoke up. "He's been running from the law for years, has a laundry list of charges and misdemeanors.

"Like I mentioned, the FBI has been trying to catch up to him, but he's good at staying one step ahead of us. While not a user himself, he's been running a complex system of buying and selling drugs for a number of dealers, using money from one exchange to pay for another. It's started to collapse around him however and now he's got one of the most powerful and dangerous dealers in the southern states after him."

"How do you know all of this?" Zoe asked, crossing her arms across her chest. She could admit that there was something odd about Judson, but this was just too crazy.

"We've been on his trail for years," Detective Stevens said. "Even the savviest of dealers slip up and it's amazing, what someone will reveal about someone else if it means reduced jail time. William's trail – or Judson, to you – went cold in Oklahoma about a year ago and as best we can tell, that's when he created the Judson Lyons alias. It was clever, really, creating a fairly unique name and bouncing from small town to small town along the Gulf. The only part of Judson Lyons that's true is that he did go to veterinarian school. He didn't graduate however – that's when he got involved in dealing, both illegal drugs and animals meds. We were able to pick back up on his trail when George and Wade here decided to do some investigating of their own." Zoe looked from George to Wade.

"What did you two have to do with this?" she demanded. They looked at each other, willing the other to speak first. Neither were too keen to let her know just how far they had interfered and without a real good reason for getting involved other than their dislike for the guy. They would have never guessed they'd uncover something like this when they made the decision to get the guy's backstory.

"Sherlock and Dr. Watson here decided to check out Judson's background, based on no other reason than the fact that they didn't like him," Bill said, indicating George and Wade. His voice revealed how much he disapproved of them getting involved. "It seems George called in some favors while Wade kept an eye on Judson and reported anything he found out the ordinary – including a phone conversation overhead outside of your house between Judson and the dealer he owes which turned out to be the missing piece of the puzzle we'd been looking for once we'd gotten our hands on what George had dug up." Zoe whirled around to face Wade.

"So that's why you've been around even more than usual," she accused as things started to fall into place.

"Not entirely," Wade said, sensing his relationship with Zoe had reached a delicate moment. He'd been dreading when it would come up that he and George had been part of exposing Judson. The last thing he wanted her to think was that he'd only been spending time with her to get to the guy.

"You didn't think to tell me I was dating a felon?" she asked him. She turned to George. "Nor did you? You two were just going to let me continue seeing him knowing all the while that he was a drug dealer? Let me guess, you two were counting on my relationship to get the goods on Judson."

"We wanted to tell you, but we couldn't," George said, aware of how lame he sounded. "For what it's worth, Wade especially wasn't too happy about it."

"If we would have told you, you would have gone to Judson and things would have gotten out of hand," Wade explained.

"Because they're not out of hand now?" Zoe shot back.

"All of this leads us to what happened tonight and why you're standing here at four in the morning instead of sound asleep in your bed," Detective Stevens said, jumping in. He'd been a detective for a long time and could recognize when a conversation was heading South. "Wade, why don't you fill Dr. Hart in on what happened?" Wade didn't look particularly thrilled about being put on the spot, but he took a deep breath and faced Zoe.

"Remember that guy sittin' in the corner at the Rammer Jammer earlier?" he asked her. Zoe nodded.

"The one you said had been sitting there a while and was probably just passing through."

"I was sleepin' and there was a crash, sounded like somebody fallin' over something. It woke me up. I saw a shadow of a person moving around in the living room. I thought it was my dad for a second, but they tripped over something else and when they cussed, I could tell it won't him. I grabbed my old baseball bat out the closet and went after him. It was that same guy from the Rammer Jammer. We think he had the wrong house and he was lookin' for you." He watched the color drain out of Zoe's face. Her mother, who had been silent this far, gasped.

"Me?" Zoe asked, panic rising in her voice as she started to realize how she fit into the equation. "What do I have to do with anything? Who is that guy?"

"The man who broke into Wade's goes by the name of Thomas Rush," Detective Stevens explained. "Judson owes him a lot of money - thousands and thousands of dollars. It's surprising that he went after you himself. He's an extremely powerful man who could pay someone else to take care of things. But based on the description Wade was able to give, we're confident its him."

"But why me?" Zoe asked again. "I have nothing to do with this!"

"You were dating Judson," Wade told her. "Thomas may or may not have known that you aren't with Judson anymore but that didn't stop him from trying to get to Judson through you."

"Meaning?"

"We don't know his intent, but based on the information we have, we believe he was looking to do physical harm, possibly even kill you, as a means of getting back at Judson."

"Oh God," Zoe breathed. She felt short of breath.

"We've got Judson in custody," Detective Stevens continued. "My guys brought him in about an hour ago and he's been cooperating with us, giving us information that will help us bring in Thomas. Thomas, however, is still at large."

"What?" Zoe exclaimed, turning to face the detective. "What do you mean, still at large? He hasn't been caught? Bluebell's not that big! It shouldn't be that hard!" She was starting to panic.

"Bluebell is heavily wooded," George reminded her. "There are all kinds of wooded areas and marshes he can hide in. The Bluebell PD, units from the Alabama State Police, and FBI agents are combing the area for him as we speak. They've got every road in and out of town blocked and have put out an alert to all the surrounding areas to be on the lookout for him."

"The Bluebell PD is looking for him?" Zoe asked, hardly able to believe her fate was in the hands of the men who spent more time playing poker than they did arresting people. "All five of them? Or three, seeing as Bill and Deputy Brooks are here?"

"Zoe, you'll be safe here," Lavon said. "Police are watching the place and the house has a state of the art alarm system. You'll stay here for now while we work to bring Thomas in."

"Safe? You're telling me I'm safe? A drug lord is after me! He wants to kill me or kidnap me or do God knows what to me. How am I safe?" Zoe asked, her voice climbing higher.

"Zoe, I need you to stay calm," Bill said. "We've got the situation under control."

"Stay calm? You're seriously telling me to stay calm? Did you miss the part where someone wants to kill me? And under control? Last week's crime log included graffiti about Bluebell's quarterback painted by the other team and a burglar alarm activated by the wind! We both know the Bluebell PD has never dealt with this sort of thing! You don't have it under control!"

"Zoe, please dear, settle down…" her mother said, though clearly scared herself.

"Don't tell me to settle down!" Zoe took to pacing, a full panic attack slowly taking her over. "He could be watching us right now. He could be looking into this house right now. He could probably kill us all if he really wanted to!"

"Zoe, I know you're scared and that this is a lot to take in, but you've got to trust us. We're good at what we do and we'll capture him before he can harm you," Detective Stevens said.

"Trusting people isn't my strong suit," Zoe answered bitingly.

"You're not going to die," George said. "You'll be safe here and we'll catch Thomas as soon as we can…"

"It's easy to say that when no one is after you!" Zoe snapped. She tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs wouldn't quite fill. She continued to pace. "But you know what? If he does manage to kill me, Brick will have the practice all to himself. That'll make him happy. Do me a favor and let him pronounce me dead. Consider it my last wish."

"Zoe, please!" Sybil stood and tried to reach her daughter. Zoe continued moving however, her mind growing foggy as she tried to reconcile everything she'd been told.

"I can't believe no one told me. Wade and George, you knew all this time and neither of you breathed a word. You just let me keep dating Judson and trying to see the best in him. Fantastic. I'm a born and raised New Yorker and the city is full of sleazy guys, but I come to Bluebell, Alabama and end up with the only felon the town has had in probably its entire existence."

"Zoe, they couldn't tell you," Lavon said. "If you'd have known, you would have went to Judson and demanded the truth and that would have made things worse. You have got to calm down…"

"You people keep telling me to calm down but you seem to be forgetting the part where a dangerous drug dealer wants to hurt me or kill me or whatever to get back at a guy I can hardly even consider my ex-boyfriend. If he had shown up at the right house, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I would probably already be dead and my mother too for that matter. But what's a few more minutes? He's going to end up killing me anyhow!" She kept pacing, struggling to draw in a breath. Her chest felt like it was closing in on her.

"Hey," Wade said, reaching out and catching her by the elbow as she passed him in her pacing. She pulled away from him and continued pacing.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked. "Am I just supposed to sit here and wait for him to show up? And what do I do if he does show up? Just let him kill me? I seen him at the Rammer Jammer. He's massive and I'm not very big. I don't stand a chance against him."

"Zoe!" Wade grabbed her arm as she passed him again. She stopped in her tracks, fell silent, and looked at Wade, her eyes wide. He turned her to face him and placed both hands on her arms to hold her in place. "Zoe, you have to calm down," he told her in a steady voice. "Freaking out ain't gonna help anything right now." Zoe looked up at him.

"You called me Zoe," she said in quiet voice. Wade furrowed his brow.

"Well, that's your name," he said, confused by her statement.

"But you never call me Zoe," she told him. "It's always 'Doc' or 'Dr. Hart.' 'Princess' a couple of times, but never Zoe." Wade realized she was right. He didn't really know why, but he'd never called her by her name, at least not to her face. He didn't have time to think about it right then though.

"Well, maybe I'll start," he said. Zoe nodded and went to start pacing again. He tightened his grip on her. "Zoe, listen to me, okay? Look at me." It was the sound of him saying her name that kept her from resuming her paniced pacing. "I know you're scared. All of are a little scared. This kind of thing don't happen here. But you're not gonna die, okay? He's not gonna hurt you. You're safe here." He let go of one of her arms to brush her hair out of her face. He cupped her cheek with his hand and tilted her head upward so he could look into her eyes. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," he told her. "I promise."

A sense of peace wrapped around Zoe as she stood there looking into Wade's hazel eyes. She believed him. Even though she knew Thomas was somewhere around Bluebell, likely hiding and waiting his chance to make a move, she knew she was safe, that Wade really wouldn't let anything happen to her if he could help it.

"Okay," she said softly, nodding her head but not breaking eye contact.

"Okay," Wade echoed, brushing his thumb across her cheek bone. "Come here." He pulled her to him. Zoe rested her head on his chest as his arms wrapped tightly around her. She clutched his t-shirt in both hands, willing herself closer to him. He rested his head against hers. "You're okay," he whispered into her ear. "You're okay." He felt her nod her head against his chest. He held her tighter.

No one in the room spoke. None of the Bluebellians were surprised to see Zoe clinging to Wade. They had all been waiting for it, expecting for the pair to somehow wind up in each other's arms although none of them thought it would be under the current circumstances. The two had a connection that was almost palpable and it only made sense for Wade to be the one to get through to her as she had panicked, the words he was whispering now calming her down as her body showed signs of letting go of some of the tension from minutes earlier.

Sybil Hart, however, was shocked. It wasn't that her daughter, her well-coiffed, educated, professional daughter, was wrapped up in the arms of a seemingly homegrown bartender from Nowhere, Alabama. It was that her daughter was wrapped up in the arms of a man who didn't see her as the daughter of a celebrity publicist and – as far as most everyone else knew – a world-renowned cardio thoracic surgeon. Wade saw her as just Zoe, not Dr. Hart. He saw past the stubborn piece of independence attitude. He saw the part of Zoe that she hid so well – the part that was a little insecure and had a big heart, the part that as a mother, Sybil wished Zoe would let the world see more often.

She had thought there was something between them. She had seen the way Wade had stolen looks at Zoe throughout dinner and had taken off as soon as he thought it was appropriate to go check on her after their dinnertime theatrics. She hadn't missed how close they'd been sitting on the porch when Lavon had driven her to Zoe's, nor the fact that Zoe's hand had been on Wade's knee. When they had been shopping, Zoe mentioned him frequently as she filled her mother in on how things had been going in Bluebell. There was a time when she would have died before she let Zoe fall for anyone that wasn't a doctor or lawyer or something equally respectable. But seeing the two of them now, her motherly instincts told her that was the man Zoe needed to be with.

"We should get back out there," Bill spoke up. The room collectively nodded. Wade raised his head from Zoe's and loosened his grip, but didn't let her go just yet.

"Zoe, Sybil, you'll stay here," Lavon directed. "Take any of the guest rooms. I'll set the alarm when we leave and police are watching the area. You'll be safe here."

"Thank you," Sybil said, her words meant to thank him for more than just offering a guest room.

"Stay inside," Wade said, letting go of Zoe. "Don't do anything stupid, okay? I'll come back to check on y'all in a little while. Call if you need anything at all. I'll answer this time." Zoe frowned.

"You're leaving?" she asked the room as they collectively started towards the door.

"We've got to help with the search," Lavon answered. Some of the panic that had disappeared when Wade had taken her into his arms returned now.

"But… You can't all leave… What if he shows up?" Zoe asked, her eyes wide with fear. Her eyes fell on Wade. He looked at her for a moment, torn between staying with Zoe and helping find the man threatening her. Then he nodded.

"I'll stay with them," he said, moving back into the living room. "Keep me posted?"

"We will," George promised. "And you do the same." Wade nodded and the rest of the men disappeared from the house. Zoe chewed on her lip. She could tell Wade wanted to be out there helping, but she felt better with him there. She was safer and, if truth be told, she knew he was safer too.

"Come on," he said, slipping an arm around Zoe's waist. "Let's get you ladies in bed."

* * *

><p>It was after 5 in the morning, but he couldn't sleep. He was comfortable enough, lying across Lavon's couch, but he was on edge, every little sound, every little creak of the old plantation home making him jump. He had been halfway across the living room at one point before he'd realized the sound he was hearing had been Lavon's heat pump kicking in, the night air getting just cool enough to warrant a few minutes of heat to knock off the chill.<p>

He hated not being in the middle of the action. He wanted to be out there trying to find the man who was looking to hurt Zoe, visions of what he'd like to do getting more graphic with each thought. But he also knew if he was out searching the woods, he'd be worried sick about Zoe. By staying behind, he at least knew she was safe and she had the peace of mind of knowing she and her mother weren't alone. He'd fallen into a light, fitful sleep when the sound of footsteps made him sit up on the sofa.

"Hey," Zoe said softly.

"Hey," Wade answered. Zoe stood by the sofa, her arms crossed across her chest. She looked as exhausted as he felt. "Can't sleep?" She nodded and settled onto the sofa next to him.

"I'm so tired," she confessed. "But every time I'm nearly asleep, I hear a floorboard creak or the wind whistles around the corner of the house and I'm wide awake again."

"I know the feelin,'" Wade said. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Wade took it as a sign that she was chilly and reached for the throw he'd been using. He spread it over her.

"Any news?" she asked. Wade shook his head.

"None," he told her. "But you're safe." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his chest because it felt like the natural thing to do. She sighed and let her head fall on his shoulder. They remained like that, both of them dozing in and out of sleep, neither of them talking. A clock somewhere in the house chimed out six times. Just a few minutes later, Wade's cell phone rang out. It was George.

"Hey," Wade said by way of answering. Zoe sat up and looked at Wade, waiting.

"Thank God," Wade said in reply to whatever George had said. He hung up after a few more standard exchanges. "They got him," he told Zoe. "He's on his way to prison right now."

"It's over?" Zoe asked. Wade nodded.

"It's over," he confirmed. Zoe sighed in relief and returned her head to Wade's shoulder, too tired to react more.

"That's the most scared I've ever been," she told him.

"Well, when your life's in danger, I reckon bein' scared is a standard response, Doc," Wade answered. Zoe smiled as best she could, no longer able to hold her eyes open now that the danger had passed. Wade noticed. "Why don't you go upstairs and get back in bed?" he asked. "You should be able to sleep now." Zoe nodded in agreement and stood up, Wade doing the same. She made for the stairs, him for the door.

"Where are you going?" Wade stopped and turned. Zoe was standing on the bottom stair watching him.

"Home," he answered. "My bed sounds real good right about now." He could see the wheels in her brain turning as she pursed her lips.

"Can I come?" she asked softly. "I don't – want to be alone." Wade was so surprised by her request he could have been knocked over by a feather but he didn't let on. Instead, he held his hand out to see if she would take it. It felt like it took her an eternity to get to him, but she took his hand and let him lead her out the door.

* * *

><p>Her eyes blinked open slowly, light pouring in through the window. She squinted as her eyes adjusted. Wade was still asleep next to her, the two facing one another, his arm draped over her waist. Zoe let out a content sigh and snuggled down into the pillow. It was the same way they had fallen asleep, lying side by side in Wade's bed.<p>

Whether to prove he really was the gentleman he'd insisted he was on her porch steps Thanksgiving night or because he actually was more of a gentleman than some of his past behavior dictated, he had insisted at first that she take the bed and he'd sleep on the sofa. But Zoe had felt uncharacteristically needy after the night's events and had asked him to sleep next to her. They'd fallen asleep quickly and now, judging by the light outside, Zoe assumed it was well past noon.

Zoe took the chance to study him. She'd admitted to herself the very first time she'd seen him that despite the girls dancing on his sofa and his obnoxious comments, he was attractive. It had taken her a while to see that despite his bad boy reputation and the stream of women she hadn't seen in a while, he had a heart of gold. She figured there was a reason he kept that side of him tucked away, a reason he preferred to be known as the town's Casanova.

She had to wonder about the girls. It had been a while since she'd seen him bring one home and had even seen him turn down a girl who looked like his type. Shelley had insisted that he liked her, Lavon had made comments that made her suspicious that he thought the same. Addie had even made the comment that he was crazy about her. And as much as she had tried to deny it, she was falling for him. It was scary. She didn't have the time to ponder her feelings much further, however, because Wade started to wake.

"Hey," he said, his voice thick with sleep.

"Morning," Zoe answered, not raising her head from his pillow. "Or afternoon." Wade glanced at the clock on his nightstand.

"It's nearly two," he confirmed, looking back at her. He looked at her for several moments as though searching for something. "You okay?" he asked. Zoe nodded.

"I'm okay," she said. Then she smiled softly. "You made sure of that." Wade shook his head.

"I won't gonna let anything happen to you, Zoe." She felt her heart flutter and hoped she never got used to the way her name sounded coming out of his mouth. There was something so familiar about it and yet so different. She heard her name dozens of times a day but Wade said it once and made her stop in her tracks. She suddenly felt courageous.

"Can I ask you something?" Wade nodded. Zoe swallowed hard before she spoke. She'd never done anything like this before. "Shelley said you liked me. And Lavon makes comments. Even Addie mentioned it. And I'm not talking like as in a friend because we are friends. I'm talking like as in…. like." She cringed internally at how lame she sounded.

Wade had a choice to make. He could deny it. He could tell her she was just a friend, that he didn't feel the same way. But this was his chance and if he lied, he'd likely never have another one and if he did, it would be a very long time from now. He didn't know what would happen, but he had to be honest. The worst – and most devastating – thing she could do was say no.

"They ain't lyin,'" he admitted. "I uh… Well, I do. Like you, I mean." He wouldn't mind crawling under his bed and hiding there for the rest of the day. He hadn't even been this awkward in middle school when he'd asked Jade Henderson to the eighth grade formal.

"I like you too," Zoe confessed. A faint smile appeared on Wade's face.

"Yeah?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice. It was more than he could hope for.

"Yeah."

Wade reached out and brushed his thumb across her cheek. Zoe moved closer, leaving little space between them. Wade tightened his grip around her waist, closing the distance, their heads now on the same pillow. He just looked at her, waiting for her to make the next move. It took less time than he thought it would for her lips to find hers, cautiously at first but soon more urgent, him kissing her back with the built up tension he'd been holding in since he'd realized he was crazy about her. He felt her hands sneak under his shirt and as good as it felt and as much as he didn't want to, he pulled away.

"Not today," he told her, gently removing her hand but lacing his fingers with hers. "You're not that kind of girl and I'm not gonna change that." Zoe furrowed her brow in confusion.

"But I thought…" he shook his head.

"I like you, Zoe. And as much as I wouldn't be opposed to taking off those tight little leggings you're wearin,' I don't want to mess this up before I've even had a chance to get it started." Zoe let out a breath, touched by his words.

"So what happens now?" she asked.

"Well, I'm gonna ask you out on a date," he told her mater-of-factly. "I'm not gonna ask you today. You've been through too much and you just got burned by a guy who didn't deserve you in the first place. But one day soon, I'm gonna ask you to go on a date with me. And hopefully you'll say yes. Then we'll go from there."

Zoe, not one to be persuaded by smooth words, felt her heart stop and quite possibly melt. No one had ever said such things to her, treated her with so much respect. She'd been with her ex-boyfriend for six years and not once had he made her feel this way, nor had she ever felt like he respected her this much. Her skills as a doctor, maybe, but not as a person.

"Okay," she said. Because he couldn't stop himself, Wade kissed her one more time, soft and sweetly on her lips.

"I hate to cut this party short, but I need to be at the Rammer Jammer soon," he told her.

"The Iron Bowl," Zoe remembered. "I guess I should go face my mother. She's probably packed up the carriage house by now with every intention of getting me out of big, bad Bluebell and into big, suddenly not so scary New York." Wade grinned.

"Don't let one felon scare you off." Zoe shook her head.

"If Brick Breeland hasn't run me off yet, a drug dealer doesn't stand a chance." Wade laughed and begrudgingly tossed the covers off of them. He walked with Zoe to the midpoint between their houses, their hands somehow finding one another without any real knowledge of doing it.

"Sure you're okay?" he asked. "Last night was – somethin.'"

"I'm okay," Zoe assured him. "I might not sleep as well for a few nights, but I'm okay."

"If you need me…"

"I know," Zoe nodded. She felt self-conscious now, knowing their feelings had been admitted and there was a date on the horizon.

"Stop by the Rammer Jammer later if you get a chance," he told her. "Bring your mom if you want. It'll give her a real taste of the town, bein' in a room with most of Bluebell watchin' Alabama and Auburn." The thought of her mother hanging out at the Rammer Jammer during on the of the biggest football games of the year made her smile.

"I'll see what I can do," she told him. "And Wade? Thank you. For everything." Wade's answer was to smile at her and squeeze her hand before letting it go.

"I'll talk to you later," he told her. They exchanged one last smile before turning towards their respective houses. Wade felt like he was walking on air. And he missed Zoe already.

"Mom?" Zoe called as she walked into her house. She was more surprised than she should have been that there wasn't so much a sign of a suitcase being packed.

"There you are," Sybil said, appearing from the bathroom. "Did you get some sleep?"

"Yeah, I did," Zoe said, moving towards her dresser. She was suddenly desperate for a shower and change of clothes. "Mom, I'm sorry about last night. I had no idea Judson – or William – or whatever his name is was such a bad guy. I barely even dated him before I broke up with him."

"It's over and done with and no fault of yours," Sybil said dismissively. "What I want to talk about is that boy." Zoe felt herself bristle. She went into defensive mode, feeling protective over Wade and whatever was happening between them.

"Mom, I know you think he's…"

"Wonderful," Sybil cut her off. "I think he's wonderful." Zoe couldn't stop her jaw from falling open.

"What?"

"Any man who goes above and beyond to protect my daughter, who so clearly cares about her as much as he cares about you, has my approval. Even if he is a bartender in the great state of Alabama." Zoe could hardly believe what she'd just heard.

"He's pretty great," she admitted to her mother, a small smile playing out on her lips. It was all new to her, these feelings. But she was going to do her best not to run from them. Something told her Wade was worth the chance, even if she didn't have a clue as to what she was doing.

"You know, just a few short months ago I thought your moving down here was the absolute stupidest thing you've ever done. And we both know you've done some stupid things," Sybil told her daughter. Zoe grinned guiltily. "But any good mother wants the best for their child and Zoe, I think moving down here might just be the best thing you've done for yourself in a long time." Zoe moved to her mother and wrapped her up in a hug.

"I think so too," she admitted.

And she did. Even if she didn't know what was going to happen or where things were going to go from here, she knew that in this moment, she was exactly where she needed to be. Sybil pulled away from her after one last squeeze.

"Now. How about you shower and change and take me to this Rammer Jammer place?" Sybil said. "Lavon tells me they have the best po'boy around. Whatever that is."

Zoe couldn't help but laugh as she shut the bathroom behind her, already planning on order her mother a side of grits while they were at it.

* * *

><p><strong>I purposefully never had Wade call Zoe by her name in my story until now. He only recently started referring to her by name on the show, even. If you've paid close attention, you'll know this is nowhere near the end. We've still got some things to get through - except for Judson. This is, in fact, the end of Judson. :)<strong>

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**


	11. Places To Run

**I had hoped to update before now but - silly real life, being all busy! Can't complain though. :) I'm still working to get to all of your reviews from last chapter, but you continue to just blow my mind with all your reviews and love for this story. Thank you so so much. **

**There's a bit of fluff to this update - figured after 2 tense updates, fluff was necessary. But it's not ALL fluff... :) This chapter is inspired by Jake Owen's "Places To Run." If you listen to it (it's on his debut album from about 5 years ago) it *might* give you some loose hints on where things are going...**

**THINGS I OWN: Pretty new makeup. I'm dangerous in Ulta/Sephora. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>"Zoe! You're a girl!" Lavon stated as Zoe breezed into the kitchen. She pointed at Lavon as she dropped a bag of groceries on the counter.<p>

"And you are a genius!" she exclaimed. Wade, who was sitting on a bar stool playing a video game chuckled.

"Hey, Zoe," he said, sparing her a quick glance that lost him a position in the race he was currently involved in.

"Hey," Zoe answered, a smile threatening her lips. She went to work unpacking her bag.

"Lavon Hayes needs help," Lavon said, ignoring her sarcastic comment. "What do you get a girl for Christmas?"

"A girl?" Zoe asked. "You get a girl Barbies. Dress up clothes. Maybe some of that makeup for kids, you know, the stuff that's non-toxic and comes off with water?" Lavon frowned.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You asked what you get a girl for Christmas. I'm telling you."

"That's what you get a child for Christmas. What's Didi gonna do with Barbie doll?"

"Oh, you mean what do you get a woman for Christmas," Zoe said, giving him a pointed look. Wade grinned, listening in.

Lavon had been listing off potential gift ideas for Wade's approval, each one worse than the next, until Zoe had walked in. Wade didn't know all that much about women, but he did know that a portable heater or a gym membership were bad ideas, regardless of how often the woman in question mentioned being chilly at work or wanting to get back in shape. Besides, even though Christmas was still just under three weeks away, he'd already picked up her gift and he was pretty damn proud of it. As far as he was concerned, the rest of his Christmas shopping was smooth sailing.

"Just help me, Big Z," Lavon said. Zoe shook her head, amusement written across her face.

"You really are desperate," she stated.

"Yes. I'm desperate. What do I do?"

"Well," Zoe started, taking a batch of fresh spinach to the sink to rinse it, "you've been together what, 3 months?"

"Something like that," Lavon confirmed, hanging on to Zoe's every word.

"Jewelry is out," she continued. "You haven't been with her long enough to give her some heart-shaped necklace or whatever."

"No jewelry?" Lavon asked. "Are you sure? I thought women like jewelry."

"Do you want my help or not?" Zoe asked. She pulled out the cutting board and the biggest knife Lavon owned.

"Whoa, what are you doin'?" Wade asked, catching a glimpse of the knife.

"Making a salad," Zoe answered him.

"This is my time with Zoe," Lavon told him, pointing his finger at him. "You go on and pay attention to your video game. You can have your Zoe time later."

"Zoe time?" Zoe asked. Wade shook his head and turned back to his video game.

"Back to the issue at hand," Lavon said, turning back to Zoe. "Didi. Christmas present. Go."

"What does she like?" Zoe asked. "Does she have a favorite book or a favorite movie? A hobby, maybe?"

"Well, she likes to make things – crafts and stuff. And she really likes _Gone With The Wind." _

"Okay. Start there," Zoe told him. "Think about it. If you still need help in a couple of days, find me for more 'Zoe time.'" She started chopping her spinach.

"I'm holding you to it," Lavon said. He picked up his car keys from the counter. "Now, I've got a town hall meeting to preside over. You two behave yourselves while I'm gone." He gave Wade a pointed look before exiting the kitchen. Wade finished his race, cursing under his breath when he finished in third by less than a car length. He'd have won if he hadn't been distracted by Zoe.

"So," he said, putting his controller down and turning on the stool so he was facing Zoe. "How was your day?" Zoe glanced at him as she started cutting strawberries in half.

"Surprisingly busy," she answered. "I'm going to be a respected part of this community yet." She glanced at him again. "How was yours?"

"Not bad," he told her. "Opened the Rammer Jammer, had this beautiful woman stop in for lunch, came home, played some NASCAR Unleashed and now, I'm talkin' to you."

"Beautiful woman at lunch?" Zoe asked. "Do I know her?" Wade grinned and slid off the stool.

"You might," he said, making his way to her. "She's from New York. Looks an awful lot like you, actually. Sounds a lot like you too, come to think of it."

"You know, I think I do know her," Zoe said. She put down her knife and turned so she was facing Wade. "You convinced her to try a Reuben which was surprisingly good despite the whole sauerkraut thing."

"Yeah," Wade nodded, just inches from Zoe now. "That sounds like her." For a moment, Zoe thought he might kiss her. But to her dismay, he just leaned on the counter, leaving her with no choice but to go back to making her salad.

It had been nearly two weeks since he'd told her he was going to ask her on a date and he still hadn't done it. Zoe tried not to obsess about it. She tried not to be that girl and spend her time wondering why, exactly, he hadn't asked her yet. They still spent a lot of time together, her stopping by the Rammer Jammer, him coming over just to say hi. The night before, they'd taken over Lavon's couch while he was out with Didi and forced each other to watch a movie of their choice, Wade picking an action-packed thriller that Zoe had proclaimed had no storyline while she'd made him watch one of her favorite chick flicks. She had decided that if he didn't ask her out by New Year's Day, she'd take things into her own hands.

"Should we be at this town hall meeting of Lavon's?" she asked. "Isn't that kind of like church around here? Everyone goes more or less because they're supposed to?" Wade shook his head and plucked a strawberry out of the bowl before lifting himself onto the counter.

"It's just a bunch of Junior League ladies hagglin' Lavon for fundin' for one project or another," Wade said. "He'll come back here and rant and rave about how ridiculous they all are and then tomorrow he'll go hole up in his office and figure out a way to give 'em all what they wants. He'll never have to worry about not getting' re-elected so long as he keeps doin' that."

"I will never understand small town politics," Zoe commented. Things were nowhere near as cut and dry in New York as they seemed to be in the Bluebell political world. Wade picked up a bottle of salad dressing from the bag of groceries she'd brought home.

"Light Raspberry Vinaigrette," he read. "Is this even real dressin'?"

"It's good," Zoe told him. Wade shook his head and looked closer at what she'd come home with.

"Goat cheese?" he asked, taking a container out of the bag. "Dried cranberries? Slivered almonds? I thought you was makin' a salad, Zoe."

"I am," Zoe said. He looked at her to see if she was serious. She was.

"With this stuff?" he asked, tilting his head towards it for clarification. Zoe nodded.

"I used to go to this great little place by my loft in Soho that had salads like this. I've been craving one and since it involves zero cooking, I figured I could make it." Wade watched as she dumped first the strawberries then a pack of blueberries over the spinach she'd chopped. "There's going to be plenty so you and Lavon eat as much as you want." She opened and drained a small can of mandarin oranges and dumped them into the mix.

"I'll pass," Wade told her. "I think Lavon probably will too. We've got a whole fridge full of frozen pizzas, corn dogs and microwaveable French fries. Ain't no reason for either of us to try any of that. Fruit ain't supposed to mix with spinach leaves. Or goat cheese."

"All you eat is processed crap," Zoe countered. "Lavon too. If it's not processed, it's rolled in batter and dropped in a deep fryer. Both of you are going to die of high cholesterol and heart disease."

"Least we'll go out eatin' what we want," Wade argued. "A pizza has got to be better than this." He nodded at her salad bowl just in time to see her add in the goat cheese.

"At least I'll outlive you both and get to say 'told you so' at your funerals," Zoe shot back.

"That ain't fair. Everyone knows the woman outlives the man."

"That's because women are smarter. And eat healthier."

"Yeah, they die smart and starvin,'" Wade countered. Zoe laughed softly as she added the dried cranberries and almonds. She liked bantering with Wade. He generally had an answer for everything. Seeing as she did too, it kept their bantering lively.

Wade went for the freezer, having decided that a couple of corn dogs and microwaved fries didn't actually sound that bad. Zoe added some of her salad into a bowl and tossed it with the vinaigrette while Wade microwaved his frozen meal.

"Try this," Zoe said, holding out a forkful of her salad to him. "I guarantee you'll like it and change your mind about corn dogs." Wade looked at the forkful of spinach, goat cheese, blueberries and one single strawberry. A drop of raspberry vinaigrette dripped from it and fell back into the bowl. He shook his head.

"If I eat that, I'll officially be cashin' in my man card," he informed her.

"Your man card?" Zoe repeated.

"Yeah. The card that allows me to be a man and not eat prissy goat cheese salads."

"Between 'man cards' and 'Zoe time,' I have got to find a girl to hang out with in this town," Zoe stated. She put the forkful of salad in her mouth to punctuate her point.

"But there are things you can do with me that you can't do with a girl," Wade said with a hint of a grin. "Or I reckon you could…"

"Wade!" Wade laughed. Now that she knew he liked her, he'd been careful not to make as many innuendo-filled comments but sometimes he just couldn't help himself. Zoe usually took it good-naturedly, however, and either rolled her eyes or delivered one of her own witty comebacks.

The pair took their meals to the couch and Zoe turned on the TV, settling on a syndicated episode of a sitcom she'd seen a dozen times. She played with her salad, moving the leaves around and picking out fruit. She had something to ask Wade and for some reason, she was a little nervous.

"Not as good as you thought it'd be, huh?" Wade asked.

"What?" Zoe asked, being brought out of her thoughts by his voice. He nodded at her salad as he took a big bite of corn dog.

"Your salad. Not quite as tasty as you lead me to believe," he said through a mouthful of food.

"Oh, no. It's fine. Good, actually. Not quite the one from back home, but close enough." Wade raised an eyebrow.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

"Well, um, I was wondering… What are you doing on the Friday before Christmas?" Zoe asked. Wade, not sure where she was going with her question, shrugged.

"The only thing I could be doin' is workin' I guess," he answered. "Why?"

"Well, I um, need a ride to the airport and I was hoping maybe you'd take me? It's just that my mom, she wants me home for Christmas which is her holiday. We used to celebrate Hanukkah too since my dad is Jewish but then I found out he's not my dad and I've got to figure out what exactly that means for me and Hanukkah now so yeah, I need a ride to the airport and I was hoping that maybe you could take me."

Zoe took a deep breath and tried not to look too hopeful – or embarrassed about her rambling. She was more than a little excited about spending a few days in New York but didn't want to offend the Bluebellians she'd become so fond of with her excitement over getting out of the small town and in to the big city, even if it were only for a few days.

"I can do that," Wade confirmed, grinning at her nervous ramble. "When are you comin' back?"

"Late on New Year's Day. You know, New Year's Eve in Time Square, all that stuff." Wade nodded.

"Guess that beats Bluebell's dance at the community center," he commented. "Need me to pick you up from the airport?" Zoe smiled at him.

"If you don't mind," she said. "But if you do have to work or something comes up either time, I can ask Lavon," she added quickly, wanting to give him an out. "It's not a big deal. You don't have to. I just thought that because… Well, I just thought you might want to see me off and I thought…"

"I'll be there," Wade said, cutting her off before she could get too far into telling him over and over he didn't have to take her. Zoe smiled and nodded.

"Okay," she agreed. They settled into silence, both of them thinking. Zoe was pondering just how much she could accomplish while she was in New York during her short time there. Wade was thinking about Zoe, when and how to ask her out, and cursing the fact that she was so damn attached to New York.

When it came to Zoe, that was his biggest fear – New York. It was too late for him to avoid falling for her. It had been too late from almost the moment she set foot in Bluebell. But now that he had, and especially now that she knew, he wasn't sure how he'd handle losing her when her year in Bluebell was up. There was always the chance she'd choose to stay, whether because she wanted to or because she didn't get whatever fellowship she was after. But if he were a betting man, he'd place his money on her heading back north. He didn't think his heart could handle that.

That was part of the reason he still hadn't asked Zoe out on their date. He had every intention of doing so, and as soon as he figured out where he wanted to take her and mustered up the courage to ask her, he would. But he knew that once they went out on an actual date, assuming things went well, he'd be a complete goner. He hadn't put his heart on the line like this in a very long time and the more he thought about it, the more it scared him. He knew she was worth it, but words like 'relationship' and 'commitment' had been sworn out of his vocabulary a long time ago. His phone rang, stopping his thoughts before they went too far off track.

"Hey, yo," he answered when he saw it was George.

"How opposed would you be to extending our trip to Mobile by a couple of hours tomorrow?" George asked.

"To do what?"

"Get the town Christmas tree. When Lemon found out I was heading up there, she volunteered me to pick it up. I tried to tell her I was on business but then your name came up and she figured I had help and that was that."

"Not like there's a choice then, really," Wade answered. George chuckled. When Lemon decided something, there wasn't much that changed her mind. "Looks like you're drivin.'" They confirmed their arrangements to leave from the Rammer Jammer after breakfast in the morning before hanging up.

"Road trip?" Zoe asked, trying to hide her curiosity.

"Just goin' up to Mobile with George. Lemon's making us pick up the Christmas tree for the town square on our way back," he told her.

"With George? I didn't realize the two of you were friends. First you're investigating suspicious vets, then you're picking up Christmas trees. "

"Friends is a strong word," Wade told her. "This is more of a – legal – trip."

"Legal?"

"Just stuff with my sister and my dad, nothing major. With him bein' like he is and her bein' in Mobile, things get complicated sometimes. Just makin' a few things official. We'll sign some papers and be on our way to the Christmas tree farm in no time." At least Wade hoped that was how things worked.

"You mentioned spending Christmas with them," Zoe remembered. "Is that still your plan?" She knew Lavon was going to visit his parents and taking Didi with him. The thought of Wade spending Christmas alone – or even with his father – pulled at her heartstrings.

"Yeah, I get to go spend Christmas with 'em," he said, not sounding nearly as excited as most people would. "I've been told I'm spendin' the night Christmas Eve so I can be there for the kids and Santa and all that."

"Those kids to seem rather fond of their Uncle Wade," Zoe said, recalling how both his niece and nephew had been hanging on to his every word and in some instances, literally hanging on to him, during their time in Bluebell on Halloween.

"They're pretty great kids," Wade admitted with a grin. He was rather fond of them, even if he didn't see them as much as he reckoned his probably should. His eyes fell on the Xbox. "Wanna race me?" he asked Zoe, nodding at the controllers. Zoe returned his grin.

"You're on, cowboy."

* * *

><p>"Well that didn't go as planned," George commented. Wade glanced at him.<p>

"Never does," he answered. George shook his head, his frustration with the situation still gnawing at him.

"We're getting it figured out," he told Wade. "Slowly and not ideally, but surely, nonetheless."

"It is what it is," Wade said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulder. George pursed his lips but didn't reply. He knew Wade liked to pretend this didn't bother him, but having known Wade his whole life and been his best friend for a lot of it, he also knew it was an act. This was eating Wade up inside and it would take nothing shy of a miracle to get him to admit it. But George being George, he couldn't help but try. He glanced in his review mirror to make sure the Christmas tree they'd picked up was still secured.

"So you and Zoe, huh?" he asked. He glanced at Wade just in time to see a grin threaten the corner of his lips.

"Maybe," he admitted. "We'll see."

"You taken her out on a date yet?" George pressed.

"The way this town talks, you'd know it if I had," Wade answered. George had to grin. It was true. The town had talked of nothing but Zoe in the two weeks since Judson's true colors had become common knowledge. If Zoe and Wade had so much as thought about going on a date, it would have been big news. There was plenty of speculation about the two as there was, Sheriff Bill having told Addie how Wade had been the one to get through to her as she'd panicked and Addie, of course, had shared that gossip gem during her weekly visit to the salon.

"Are you going to take her out on a date?" George continued.

"What is this? An audition to take Oprah's place?" Wade asked.

"Just getting the dirt straight from the source," George replied. "So are you are you or aren't you?"

"I plan to," Wade told him. "I just need to figure out the when and where part of it."

"It's good to see you serious about a girl for a change," George said, keeping a casual tone. "Let's see. There was Stella. The Hollis twins – both of them…"

"They were twins?" Wade interrupted. "Huh. I just thought I was really drunk."

"Like I said, it's good to see you serious about a girl," George said seriously. He hadn't even started listing out Wade's many conquests.

"Yeah, well, Zoe's different," Wade told him. It was more than he would have said to most people who asked him about Zoe, but George was an old friend, even if they weren't the closest of friends anymore. They drove a couple more miles in silence. Wade tapped out a beat on the window jam, lost in thought. George bided his time, waiting for the right opportunity to come out and say what he needed to say.

"Say Wade? How much does Zoe know?" he asked finally. Wade looked over at him.

"'Bout what?" he asked although he was sure he knew what George was talking about.

"About all of this, why we spent most of the day in Mobile." George spared him another glance, careful to keep his eyes on the curvy back road.

"She knows I had to go to Mobile to sign some papers," Wade answered.

"Papers about what?" George knew Wade too well for this game. Wade sighed.

"Papers about stuff with my dad and my sister," he admitted. George blew out a breath.

"Wade…"

"Don't start lecturin' me. I don't need to hear it."

"You really think this is the best way to handle this? Just not tell Zoe anything? You know how our town is, Wade. It'll come up eventually. For your sake, I recommend you be the one who brings it up and not one of the town biddies the next time the gossip chain goes quiet."

Wade didn't say anything. He knew George was right, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Zoe the truth about what he'd been doing in Mobile. It would bring up a whole new set of problems, not to mention bring things to the surface he had long thought he'd buried. He knew things like this had a way of resurfacing, but he was going to take his changes and deal with whatever the consequences ended up being.

"Just tell her the truth," George advised. "Seeing as she spent her whole life not knowing Harley Wilkes was her father, I'd say enough people have lied to her in her lifetime without you doing the same."

"She doesn't need to know," Wade said again, squirming a little. He hadn't thought about how many other people had lied to Zoe. "Pretty soon, all of this will be over and done with and behind us and I won't have to worry with it anymore. And, seeing as this is a legal matter between me and my lawyer, it doesn't look like you'll be telling her anything either."

"My legal obligations are the only thing keeping me quiet," George told him.

"Just get us and this damn tree back to Bluebell," was Wade's reply.

* * *

><p>Exhausted hardly covered it. It had been the longest, busiest week of her professional career and seeing as she had done her residency in one of the top hospitals in New York, that was saying something. The flu had hit Bluebell and Zoe was sure she'd seen three-quarters of the population in her office, one of them being Brick Breeland who had refused to get a flu shot when she'd brought it up two months earlier. A small, non-doctor part of her had taken an incredible amount of joy in having him sitting on her exam table.<p>

"Hey," she managed when she entered Lavon's kitchen, dropping her purse and doctor bag on the counter. She made straight for the fridge, eager to get her hands on her box of leftovers from the takeout she'd ordered from Fancies the night before and then go to bed.

"You look half dead, girl," Lavon commented from the couch. He himself was on the upside of a battle with the flu and was still a little lacking in the energy category. He'd sat down on the couch two hours ago, propped his feet up on the coffee table, and didn't plan to move for at least another two hours.

"I finally get the practice to myself and all of Bluebell comes down with the flu," Zoe answered. She dumped her leftovers on a plate and popped them in the microwave.

"Say, have you see Wade today?" Lavon asked. Zoe frowned.

"No," she said, realizing for the first time she hadn't so much as had a text from him all day. He always texted her during the day, usually some silly observation or a piece of gossip. He'd even spent most of his trip to Mobile with George a few days earlier texting her. She'd been too busy to realize she hadn't heard from him all day. "I didn't get a chance to leave for lunch and I was so busy – he could have stopped by the office and I'd never know it. I'll stop by his place on my way home."

"Thanks," Lavon said. "Not like him, off being so quiet. I ain't heard so much as the rumble of his car engine all day."

The microwave beeped and she fetched her meal, covered it with a paper towel. "See you later," she called to Lavon. She made her way through the yard and down the path to Wade's. She frowned, a little concerned as the gate house came into view. His car was parked in its usual place, but the lights were off and it was unusually silent for him to be home. Zoe climbed the stairs.

"Wade?" she called. She tapped on the door before letting herself in. "Wade?" she called again. She left her plate and bags on the counter in the kitchenette and wandered farther into the house. She tripped over a boot in the floor, catching herself on the back of the sofa to keep from falling. "Wade? Are you here?" There was no sign of him. She ventured into his bedroom. There he was, sound asleep under a mountain of covers, his breathing labored. He coughed once.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled the covers back some. "Hey," she said, resting her hand on his bare shoulder. He was hot to the touch. She rubbed his shoulder, trying to wake him. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.

"Zoe?" he asked hoarsely.

"It's me," she confirmed. "Looks like the flu caught up to you." Wade groaned and made to pull the covers back around him. Zoe stopped him. "How long have you been like this?" He'd been find the night before, even bragging to Lavon that he hadn't been sick in years save for a few minor head colds.

"Woke up sick," Wade moaned. He managed to turn over to his back but Zoe could tell it took all the energy he could muster. "I hurt all over," he admitted. Zoe nodded.

"That sounds right," she told him. "I'll be right back." She went back into the kitchen and fetched the doctor's bag she'd taken to carrying with her. She returned to Wade and opened it. "Open your mouth," she directed as she covered a thermometer with a fresh protector. Zoe busied herself with checking his glands and doing a quick physical assessment while she waited for it to beep.

"102," she told Wade when it finally chimed. She took out her penlight. "Open up." She checked his throat which was red and swollen.

"Am I gonna live, Doc?" Wade asked in a weak attempt to make a joke.

"I think you'll be fine," Zoe told him. "You're just going to have to take it easy for the next few days. Lots of rest, lots of fluids." She left his room again and got him a glass of water. She pulled out a sample pack of pills and opened them. "Take this," she directed. "I'll leave you a few packs. Take them every 4 to 6 hours. An antibiotic won't do you any good so you'll need to get some sort of over the counter flu meds to help with the aches and pains and the fever."

"I have Nyquil," Wade managed. He pulled the covers up to his chin. He was freezing.

"Nyquil is good," Zoe confirmed. She pulled the covers back down. "Take this." Wade sighed and pushed himself into a sitting position. Zoe handed him the pills and his water. "You should probably try to eat something too." He shook his head, handed her back the nearly full glass of water, and laid back down.

"No food."

"You need to drink all of this," Zoe told him, holding the glass out to him. "You have to stay hydrated." Wade groaned in return. Zoe sighed and put the water on his nightstand. "Get some rest," she told him, standing. "If you need me, just call me."

"You're leaving?" Wade asked.

"I've been treating sick people all day. I'm exhausted. I'm going to eat my dinner and go to bed so I can do it all again tomorrow."

"But…" Wade stumbled for words. He wasn't one to ask for help – something he and Zoe had in common – but he didn't want her to leave. Zoe stood in the bedroom's doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Wade, her usually upbeat, smiling, protective Wade, was lying in bed, looking impossibly weak and sick. She sighed. She couldn't leave him.

"I have leftovers from Fancies," she told him. "Want some?" Wade shook his head.

"No food," he said again.

She went into his kitchenette and ate her food quickly. It was lukewarm at best, but she was too hungry to care. She thought about going home and changing into something more comfortable, but a laundry basket of clean, unfolded clothes was sitting on the sofa. She dug out a t-shirt and a pair of boxers and deemed that good enough. She slipped into the bathroom and changed. Wade lifted his head off his pillow when she walked back into his bedroom.

"You stayed," he said. Zoe climbed onto the bed beside him. He rolled over to face her.

"I stayed," she confirmed. She lifted the covers and slid underneath.

"I don't want to get you sick," Wade told her.

"Unlike everyone else in Bluebell, I got the flu shot," Zoe told him. "And if I do get sick, it will be because I've seen pretty much the entire population of this town in my office, all of whom have the flu. Not because I decided to sleep in your bed tonight." Wade smiled although Zoe could tell he was fighting sleep.

"Thanks for staying," he mumbled out.

"You're welcome," Zoe answered. "Get some sleep, okay?" Wade nodded and closed your eyes but opened them almost instantly.

"You sure I won't be the responsible party if you get sick?" he asked.

"Only a fraction of it."

"Come here, then," Wade said, holding his arm out. He wanted Zoe close to him. He wasn't a needy sort of guy, but it had been a long time since he'd had someone to take care of him when he was sick. Zoe slid closer and he wrapped an arm around her. "You get some rest too," he said. He rested his head on her shoulder, noticing for the first time she was wearing his clothes. Zoe could feel his fever seeping in through the thin fabric, but was oddly comforted by it. She reached up and took her hand in his, pulling his arm tighter around her.

"Zoe?"

"Hmm?"

"I ain't forgot about our date." Zoe smiled in the darkness.

"Neither have I," she told him. She squeezed his hand lightly and felt him squeeze back. He kissed her shoulder and soon, both of them were asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Couple of things: 1) Wade is clearly hiding something. While this is the first update where it's been completely evident, it's definitely been mentioned in passing a couple of times... 2) That salad Zoe made? It's to die for. I get them at a coffee shop here in Nashville and have had the 'man card' conversation. :) <strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	12. Home For Christmas

**I haven't had a chance to reply to all of your wonderful, amazing reviews for last chapter, but I wanted to get this posted, mainly because I have quite the busy week ahead and won't have much time for writing - at least not writing Hart of Dixie fan fics! I've really enjoyed reading your speculations as to what Wade's secret is. Some of you are pretty close! I'll get to your reviews as soon as I can. :)  
><strong>

**This update is sort of part 1 of 2 and based on the Christmas classic "I'll Be Home For Christmas." Home... It can mean something different for everyone, cant it? **

**THINGS I OWN: A planner that cries every time I put something new in it this week. Or maybe that's me... THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>Zoe couldn't contain her smile as she watched Rose clog dance on stage. It was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever seen and yet she didn't think anything could make her happier in that moment than watching the teenager dancing and spinning around with a huge smile on her face, not a care in the world outside of doing her best in the Miss Cinnamon pageant. Rose took a bow and Zoe burst into applause, giving an excited little jump and feeling very much like the proud mother.<p>

"That was quite the clog dance," came Wade's voice.

"She was amazing!" Zoe said excitedly, spinning around so she was facing him. He was taken by surprise at just how beautiful she was. She was always beautiful, as far as he was concerned, but tonight, there was something about her literally sparkling. It could have been the Christmas lights and festive atmosphere, but it looked like it was coming from somewhere inside her.

"Well, you showed her how to be," Wade told her with a bashful grin. He wasn't sure what it was about Zoe that made him say things like that, but when it came to her, he'd learned his rules about women were well out the window. The brilliant smile that broke out on her face and the sparkle in her eye told him it was worth breaking some of his self-imposed rules.

"Thanks," she said softly, almost shy. Wade put his hands in his pockets, grinning, feeling pretty proud of himself. He stood by Zoe as they watched the rest of the Miss Cinnamon pageant. She was glued to it, seemingly more thrilled by it with each passing contestant. She looked like she belonged, like she was meant to be standing right where she was, clapping and cheering with the rest of Bluebell.

"Rose was robbed," Wade said, clapping politely as the yodeling girl who's name escaped him was crowned as Miss Cinnamon. Zoe shook her head.

"She did it on her own terms," Zoe said proudly. "I may have tried to coax her into sparkly dresses and singing, but at the end of the day, it was all her, just the way she wanted it to be."

"Coax her?" Wade asked. "The way I heard it, it was more like you did everything but push her into oncomin' traffic."

"I was just trying to help," she protested.

"And a fine job you did of it," Wade said. He'd overhead several arguments between Zoe and Rose over everything from talent to makeup while he'd been recovering from the flu and despite feeling like he'd been hit by a truck, had come to the younger girl's rescue during a particularly tense debate over whether or not Rose would be singing in the talent show.

"How are you feeling?" Zoe asked, scrutinizing his appearance. He'd had a more severe case of the flu than most and had subsequently spent more time in bed recovering. He was still a little pale, but some of the color had returned to his cheeks and for the first time in days, he didn't sound congested.

"Much better," he told her. "Almost back to normal. 'Course, I did have the best medical care around."

"You darn right you did. Seeing as you were the world's most difficult patient, you should be counting your lucky stars your doctor didn't Kevorkian you."

"I won't that bad," Wade mused. Zoe fixed him with a look. He grinned and shrugged. "Well I mighta been a little difficult," he admitted. He hadn't been kidding when he'd told Lavon he hadn't been sick in years and had had a hard time with being cooped up inside for nearly a week. He knew he'd gotten on both Zoe and Lavon's nerves a few times. He'd gotten on his own, for that matter. Something in the distance caught his eye and he grinned.

"Stay right here," he said, touching Zoe's elbow. "Don't move. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Zoe asked, but he was already gone, disappearing through the crowd. Zoe remained where she was, exchanging polite hellos with the town people as they passed. Within minutes of leaving, Wade was walking back to her, two steaming cups of hot chocolate in his hands.

"You may not be fond of Agnes' sweet tea, but try this," he said, passing her one of the cups. Zoe blew on the liquid for a moment before taking a sip. She groaned.

"This is incredible!" she said, already taking another sip. "It's not just chocolate though. It tastes like it has peppermint in it."

"It does," Wade confirmed. "It's her signature peppermint bark hot chocolate. She only makes it in December. I didn't think you'd tried it yet."

They started to walk, no real destination in mind. Zoe took in the town's decorations, the lights hanging delicately overhead, the plastic santas and giant nutcrackers littering the town square. The tree Wade and George had brought back with them was the centerpiece, towering over the town and lit brightly. It wasn't Rockefeller Center, but she found she couldn't really complain.

"Even Christmas is Dixie down here," she commented, passing by a set of animated reindeer wearing Roll Tide Santa hats.

"It's tradition," Wade said. Zoe pointed to a wooden mural of Santa and his reindeer.

"Santa's sleigh has a gun rack on the back." Wade chuckled.

"Lavon might should consider takin' that one out of the décor rotation," he agreed.

"Zoe! Zoe wait up!" Rose called. Zoe and Wade stopped and waited for Rose, still in her clogging outfit, shoes and all, to catch up.

"You were fantastic!" Zoe told her, passing Wade her hot chocolate before she pulled Rose into a hug. "You were the absolute best."

"You weren't bad," Wade agreed, watching the two. They had an almost sisterly relationship.

"Thanks," Rose said with a big smile, clearly not upset that she hadn't won. "I just wanted to thank you for everything. I know you're heading home tomorrow afternoon and I probably won't get to see you before then so I thought I'd catch you before you left." She glanced from Zoe to Wade and back. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"Um," Zoe looked at Wade. Was Rose interrupting?

"Not this time," Wade told Rose with a wink. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," she said, turning back to Zoe. "I've got to go. Me and some friends are having a sleepover so we can rehash all the details of the Miss Cinnamon pageant while they're still fresh. See ya! And Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Zoe called after her.

"She worships you," Wade said, passing her back her hot chocolate.

"She's a sweet kid," Zoe answered as the pair resumed walking.

"So, you all packed and ready to go?" Wade asked.

"Almost. Just a few last minute things to throw into my bag. Are you sure it's okay for you to take me to the airport? I mean, you don't have to work or anything?"

'I've told you ten times, Doc, its fine," Wade said. "I don't mind at all." Zoe gave him a smile and the pair lapsed into silence as they wandered around the town square. Wade was vaguely aware that eyes were following them, but he didn't particularly care. He stole a glance at Zoe, wondering how he'd been the guy lucky enough to get to walk beside her, when he noticed she looked far away. He pumped her arm gently. "Hey," he said. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…" Zoe sighed. "It's going to be weird, going home," she admitted. She'd been thinking on the subject a lot, especially now that her departure date was practically here. "It's the first time I've been in New York since I learned I'm not Dr. John Hart's daughter. Except me, my mom and my best friend, no one up there knows the truth. So much about this Christmas is different. I don't know. I'm just not sure how it's going to go, I guess."

"I'm sure your mom is lookin' forward to havin' you home for a few days," Wade said.

"She is. Christmas is her holiday, you know? Growing up, I always thought it was so cool that I got to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas – Hanukkah with my dad's family, Christmas with my mom's family. Apparently I'm not celebrating Hanukkah this year seeing as it started two nights ago and I don't even have a menorah. Wouldn't be the first time though. Last year, I had a menorah, but didn't manage to light it. I was too busy at the hospital."

"Not being Jewish, I don't know much about Hanukkah, but I reckon you get a pass this year, seein' as you've been through a bit of an identity crisis," Wade said. They took a seat on a bench.

"I guess," Zoe said. "I'm leaving tomorrow. I guess at this point I'll just have to go with it and see what happens."

"You know, I know this ain't exactly where you planned to be this time last year, but is it all that bad?" Wade asked. He nodded towards the town square in the distance where the community was celebrating the holiday season, a scene that looked straight out of a storybook except with no snow and the occasional pair of shorts instead of a land of white and heavy coats. When he looked back at Zoe, he was expecting to see her taking in the town square. Instead, she was looking at him, a small smile on her face.

"It's not all that bad," she agreed. He returned her smile, certain he'd blushed just a little.

"You knew Harley pretty well, right?" Zoe asked. Wade shrugged.

"I mean, I knew him. He delivered me, was my doctor up until the day he died. He was good to my family when Momma got sick and after. But I wouldn't say we were best friends."

"Did he have a family?" Zoe asked. "A wife? Kids?" Wade shook his head.

"He never got married. I know he had a sister, but she was older and passed away a while ago. The only reason I know that is because him and Brick had this big fight over who would stay in Bluebell the weekend of her funeral. See, his sister had the nerve to go and die the same weekend Bama was playin' Florida."

"Sounds like Brick," Zoe commented. "Who ended up staying?"

"Neither of 'em. They both left to prove a point to each other. I broke my arm that weekend, had to go clear up to Mobile to see a doctor that could set it." He heard Zoe laugh softy. "What's all this curiosity about Harley, anyway?"

"I don't really know," she said. "Lately, I've been thinking about him a lot, wondering who he really was, if he had a family. They'd be my family, you know? I think I'd like to know them. Maybe I can look up his sister's obituary, see if she had kids or something."

"I reckon it's only natural to want to know where you came from," Wade commented.

"I read his charts a lot," Zoe told him. It was easy, talking to Wade about this sort of thing. She hadn't even confided in Lavon about her desire to know more about Harley and she told him everything – whether he wanted to hear it or not. "I've memorized most of them by now, but I realized the other day that we make our 'e' the same way and that even when we're printing something, we still connect all the letters together. It's weird, finding little similarities like that. It makes me curious about what else we have in common. Like, I was making a cup of coffee and I found myself wondering how he took his coffee - if he even liked coffee. It's such a weird, trivial thing to wonder about, but in that moment, I really wanted to know."

"Two sugars, one cream," Wade answered. Zoe looked at him, surprised.

"What?" she asked.

"Two sugars, one cream," Wade repeated. "Just like you, come to think of it."

"How'd you know that?" Zoe wanted to believe him, but she was skeptical. It was such a random thing for him to know about Harley.

"Harley started his day off with breakfast at the Rammer Jammer every single mornin.' Bacon, eggs, toast and a side of grits. Always. Except on Sundays. On Sunday, he'd come in before church and have himself a big 'ol plate of pancakes, absolutely smothered 'em in syrup. Once in a while, he'd get biscuits and gravy, but he'd still order a small stack of pancakes to go with it. I reckon it ain't no wonder he died from heart trouble."

"Ironic, isn't it? That my real father ultimately died of heart disease while the man I thought was my father all these years is a world-renowned heart surgeon."

"I guess there's some irony there," Wade admitted. "But no more so than his one and only daughter turning up here a big fancy heart surgeon." Zoe played with her now empty hot chocolate cup.

"I still haven't cleaned out his stuff," she told him. "Where he lived in the apartment above the practice? Everything is still exactly like it was when he died. I haven't even set foot in there. Mrs. H gave me the keys before she left, said I could go in there, clean things out, and assuming I could convince Brick, live there. I just – haven't. And even if I did clean it out, I'd probably still stay in the carriage house. I've gotten rather attached to it. Save for the whole no kitchen, terrible water pressure, shared fuse box thing."

"I've gotten rather used to having you live there," Wade admitted. They exchanged smiles full of meanings that neither of them could quite identify.

"You heading back to the plantation any time soon?" Zoe asked.

"Right now if you want," Wade said. "It's been a long day and I guess I'm still not back to full strength. I wouldn't mind turnin' in early tonight."

"Right now sounds amazing," Zoe agreed. "It has, in fact, been a long day." She stood and held out her hand to Wade. He took it and allowed her to pull him to his feet. To his surprise, she didn't drop his hand. He laced his fingers through hers and together they walked back through the town square to Wade's car, the town buzzing in their wake.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you ain't movin' back to New York, Doc? It looks like you're takin' everything you own with you." Zoe looked over her shoulder as she folded another sweater to add to her already full to the brim suitcase. A smaller one, also stuffed to capacity, was zipped and waiting at the foot of her bed and her carry on lay on the floor nearby.<p>

"I'm going to be there 9 whole days. That's like a lifetime in Bluebell," she answered. She turned back to her packing, missing the sad look that crossed Wade's face. He shook it off and went to sit on her bed while she finished.

"It's gonna be quiet with you around," he mentioned.

"Look at it like this. For the next 9 days, you can use as much power as you want and play your guitar as loud as you can possibly stand it." Wade shrugged.

"It's not as appealin,' knowin' I won't blow out the box and run the risk of you stormin' over to my place in those little shorts of yours." Zoe rolled her eyes.

"I definitely won't be wearing shorts while I'm in New York," she told him. "It's going to be 30 degrees and snowing most of the time."

"That sounds like hell," Wade commented. He was sitting in jeans and a t-shirt, completely comfortable in Bluebell's 65 degree weather.

"That sounds like December," Zoe replied. She couldn't quite wrap her head around how warm it still was to be just two days from Christmas.

"You 'bout ready to go?" he asked. "We'll have to hit the road pretty soon if you're gonna make your flight." Zoe zipped up her suitcase with some effort.

"I think I'm ready," she said. "Oh! Hang on." She went to her closet and pulled out a coat from the back of it. She stuffed it into her carryon with as much difficulty as she'd just zipped her suitcase. "It's not going to be 60 degrees when I get off the plane in New York," she explained as Wade looked on, amused. He stood, picking up her bigger suitcase.

"Let me get that," he said, reaching for her carryon. Zoe let him take it, now used to how southern men tended to do things like carry the bags and open doors. He threw the brightly printed duffel bag over his shoulder and picked up her other suitcase. She led the way outside and got in the car at his insistence while he loaded her things in the trunk.

"Thanks again," Zoe told him when he slid behind the wheel. "I know I've said it a dozen times, but thank you." Wade gave her a smile as he put the car in reverse.

"It's no problem," he told her. "I'm happy to do it."

"Can we stop by your place first? I think I left my black sweater when I was over there the other night."

"We can, but I know you didn't leave your sweater. You had it on when you left." Wade could tell her that with certainty. He had watched her leave, rather enjoying the view from behind.

"I did," Zoe argued. "I'll just run in and grab it."

"Alright," Wade agreed, "But you ain't gonna find it."

A few minutes later, Zoe was walking out of his house, no black sweater in sight, her giant purse draped over her shoulder.

"Told you," he said, when she got back into the car.

"Consider it the one time you get to be right," Zoe replied. He laughed.

The drive to Mobile went by too quick for Wade's liking. He kept Zoe entertained with stories about different Bluebell residents, enjoying the easy rapport he had with her. Too soon, he was pulling into short term parking despite Zoe's insistence that he could just drop her off.

"Seriously, Doc, you keep this up and you'll be hoarse before you even get to that big city of yours." He lifted both of her suitcases from the trunk and passed her her carry on. "'Sides, these bags weigh more than you do. I ain't sure how you're gonna manage when you get to New York."

"I can handle it," Zoe insisted. Wade ignored her and started towards the doors, leaving her to follow. She made her way to the ticket counter while Wade took care of her checked luggage. Combined, the two bags had weighed nearly 80 pounds. Having carried Zoe around a time or two, he knew she only weight about 20 pounds more.

"All set," she said, returning to him. "Thank you – once again – for everything – the ride, carrying my bags, checking my bags…" Wade smiled at her and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear so he could see her better. Her hand caught his as he let it fall from her hair.

"You're welcome," he said. He suddenly really didn't want her to leave.

"I should go," she told him, even as she held his hand tighter. "I still have to get through security and find my gate." She didn't make a move to leave him.

"I guess you should," Wade agreed, looking into her eyes. He really just wanted to throw her over his shoulder, stuff her back in his car and take her back to Bluebell. She'd be mad at first and maybe for a few additional days, but she'd get over it eventually. He'd just blow the fuse box and refuse to fix it until she forgave him. It was simple, really.

"Okay," Zoe said, her eyes remaining locked on his. "I'm going to go." Several seconds past. She took a deep breath. "See you in nine days," she said. She turned to leave, her hand still in his.

"Wait," Wade said, pulling her back to him. Zoe looked up to him expectantly. He put his hand on her cheek and ran his thumb over her cheekbone, looking into her eyes. "Would it be okay if I kissed you right now?" he asked. Zoe raised an eyebrow.

"You're asking?" she replied. He had definitely never asked permission before, her mind jumping to their steamy kiss in his living room the night she was furious at him over abandoning their float building.

"I figure we're in public so I'd ask to avoid a scene," he answered. "And besides, I'm not exactly on a first name basis with the sheriff around these parts. Or the mayor for that matter." Zoe smiled up at him. She'd been hoping he'd kiss her goodbye. She reached up and pulled him to her, giving him permission to kiss her. And he did, making sure it was a kiss she wouldn't forget when she stepped off the plane in New York. Only when it became necessary for them to take a breath did they pull away.

"I should go," Zoe said again. She was hyper aware of Wade's arm around her waist, holding her tightly to him.

"You should." He kissed her one more time, softly. "I'll see you New Year's Day." Zoe nodded.

"New Year's Day," she agreed. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him. She looked over her shoulder at him as she passed through the checkpoint. He nodded at her and gave her a smile before turning to leave. Zoe blew out a breath as she handed over her ID and ticket. As much as she was looking forward to going home, she was pretty sure she was leaving a piece of her heart in Bluebell.

* * *

><p>Never, ever, would she tell Wade he was right, she decided as she half carried, half dragged her luggage into her mother's building from where the driver had unloaded it at the curb. The doorman recognized her and greeted her by name, pulling the door open for her. She breathed a hello to him and stabbed the elevator button. She made a production out of dragging her bags into the elevator and took a seat on the bigger of the two to catch her breath as she rode to the top floor. More huffing and puffing followed as she pulled them into her mother's foyer.<p>

"Zoe! You're home!" her mother exclaimed, appearing almost right away.

"Yeah," Zoe breathed. She hugged her mother. "Whew." Sybil frowned.

"What on earth?" she asked, taking in her daughter's somewhat frazzled appearance. "I know the trip from Alabama to New York isn't pleasant seeing as there isn't a direct flight to be had, but you look like you just fought a war."

"No war, just my bags," Zoe answered. "I may have over packed just a little."

"Well let me help you get these upstairs," she said. "Then we'll see about some dinner and catch each other up on the last few days of our lives." Sybil grabbed the handle of the smaller of the two suitcases. She managed to lift it a few inches off the ground before she let it fall back to the floor. "What did you pack? Bricks?"

"Close," Zoe answered. "Shoes." Sybil cracked a smile. Some things would never change.

"How about we have Andrew carry this up for you?" she asked Zoe, referring to the family's longtime butler and all around right hand man. He'd always reminded Zoe of Niles from The Nanny. She nodded in agreement.

"As for dinner, would you hate it if we had Chinese delivered?" she asked. "It's been a long day, traveling and all, and I really just don't feel like going out. Besides, I haven't had food delivered to my door in months." Sybil smiled.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," she said. "Let's go pull the menu book out and see what sounds good." She started towards the rarely used kitchen where she kept an impressive stash of takeout menus. "Andrew! Will you take Zoe's bags to her old room please?" she called out into the house. Zoe made to follow but heard her phone sound. She retrieved it from her bag.

_Make it okay? _

She smiled as she read Wade's text. _Having Chinese brought to my door right now, _she texted back. She held the phone to her chest, a silly smile playing on her lips. She'd never had a guy look after her the way Wade did, let alone do it so genuinely. Within a few moments, her phone chimed again.

_I'm kickin Lavon's ass in NASCAR. He's worse than u are. _Zoe laughed out loud. She heard her mother call her and headed for the kitchen, replying to Wade as she went.

* * *

><p>Zoe couldn't remember having that much fun with her mother of all people. They had sat around in the living room that didn't seem quite as cold as Zoe remembered it feeling during her childhood, eating Chinese out of cartons with just the soft glow of the Christmas tree for company. They had laughed and talked and just enjoyed one another's company for hours and ended the night by popping in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, an old favorite of Zoe's, and laughing together at scenes they'd each seen a hundred times.<p>

"Good night, Zoe," Sybil called as Zoe climbed the stairs to her room.

"Night, Mom," Zoe called back. The grandfather clock in the foyer chimed midnight. "And Merry Christmas!" she added, now that it was technically Christmas Eve. She entered her childhood room – that she hadn't even set foot into since arriving hours earlier – and just shook her head at all the pink and flowers. Her mother never did accept that pink wasn't her favorite color.

Andrew had brought her things up and left them on her bed. She unzipped the bigger suitcase in search of her pajamas. She pushed the top open and on top of the sweatshirt she remembered adding as an afterthought was a haphazardly wrapped package. She picked it up and just as she expected based on the wrapping, saw it was from Wade.

Curious and now understanding why Wade had sent her to get in the car when she'd tried to help put her bags in the trunk, she sat cross-legged on her bed. She tore away the wrapping and smiled when she realized it was a cookbook.

"_How to Boil Water: Life Beyond Takeout_," she read, shaking her head in amusement. She made to open the book when she realized there was a piece of paper marking a page. She opened the book to it and saw it was a recipe for a variation of spaghetti. Her smile even bigger, she unfolded the piece of paper. 'Uncle Moe's Gumbo' was scrawled across the top in Wade's chicken scratch handwriting, a step by step recipe listed out below. She laughed out loud. It was easily the best Christmas gift she'd received since she'd gotten her very first plastic doctor's kit when she was four years old.

* * *

><p>Wade stretched his arms over his head as he climbed his porch stairs. He looked longingly at Zoe's dark house, feeling oddly lonely without her. He'd texted her all evening, in between races with Lavon, all of which he'd won handily. He hadn't been kidding – Zoe really was better at the game than Lavon and seeing as she was terrible, that was saying something.<p>

Driving back to Bluebell, he had replayed their kiss at the airport over and over. He was sure he had imagined it, but it almost seemed like Zoe was reluctant to get on the plane. He was reluctant to let her go. He was sure that once she got back in the city, she'd remember why she loved it so much and all of Bluebell's charm that had worn her down would be erased. She'd be more eager than ever to get back into the city and move on with her life once her year was up in Bluebell. He'd just have to do what he could to convince her to stay.

He didn't bother turning on a light as he wandered through his house. It was after midnight, technically Christmas Eve. Zoe would be back on the first and by his math, that was just eight days away. Eight very long, very Zoe-free days.

He pulled back the blankets on his bed and stripped down to his boxer shorts. The Rammer Jammer was only open half a day on Christmas Eve, but he'd planned to work all of it to let some of the others who had families have the day off. He'd head to Mobile to be with his sister's family after work.

He slipped under his covers and moved around, trying to get comfortable. His foot kicked something hard. Frowning, he sat up and turned on his bedside light. A thin, square package was laying on his bed, wrapped in bright red paper with an elaborate bow. He reached for it and read the name tag. It was from Zoe. Smiling, figuring that's what she'd been up to when she'd insisted her sweater was at his place, he opened it.

He knew what it was before the paper was even half off. It was an LP of Willie Nelson's version of "Moon River." Smiling, he got out of bed and plugged in his old record player, hoping it still worked. He put the LP on and set the needle. Moments later, "Moon River" filled his living room. He laid down on his couch, listening to Willie Nelson as he played with his necklace. He drifted off to sleep thinking about Zoe, his mom, and how maybe he'd play the record for his dad sometime soon.

* * *

><p><strong>I've been thinking about Harley and Zoe's 'relationship' a lot - surely the show will eventually explore that? Zoe doesn't strike me as the kind who'd just accept that he was her real father and leave it at that. I'm also hung up on the practice - it's the big twothree story townhouse looking place so I'd think there would be living quarters or something of that nature above it. In my story there is anyway!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
><strong>


	13. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**FINALLY! I've been working on this forever. I'd hoped to get it posted this weekend, but between Christmas parties, Christmas shopping, and working on a big year-end project, I just didn't get to finish it. I'm still about a chapter behind in getting to all of your reviews, but THANK YOU a million times over! Love to all of you. :) **

**Consider this chapter a filler that isn't a filler. Which makes no sense to pretty much anyone but me, but is true, I promise. This chapter was inspired by Lady Antebellum's "Home Is Where The Heart Is." Take a listen and you'll get a good idea of where Zoe's head is in this chapter. **

**THINGS I OWN: The tendency to match my Christmas paper wrapping to my Christmas decor, all of which is pink, green and sparkly. It seems this is strange. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>It was a lot different that he expected it to be, spending Christmas with his sister and her family. He'd arrived just before dinner the night before, not particularly thrilled that he'd be spending both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Meredith. He didn't hanging out with his niece and nephew and he didn't even mind Eric all that much, but asking him to play nice with his sister for 24 straight hours was a tall order, even during the holidays.<p>

Instead, it had passed by pleasantly enough. The kids had kept Christmas Eve dinner lively, too excited about Santa's imminent arrival to sit and eat, let alone behave. Wade being there hadn't helped as they associated their uncle with fun and games. But to his surprise, Meredith had taken it all in stride and humored them, understanding they were excited. He could tell by her smile that she was pretty excited herself.

After dinner, Wade had spent time playing with the two kids while Meredith and Eric cleaned up dinner and did last minute preparations for Santa. Then, just before bed, they'd gathered in the living room in front of the fire and Eric had read the Christmas story from the Bible and Twas The Night Before Christmas by the light of the Christmas tree. It was so stereotypical it was almost laughable except Wade had found himself enjoying it, Jacob curled up in his lap in his Christmas pajamas, the lovie he'd had since he was in infant clutched tightly in his small hand. Wade had wondered briefly how much his sister would miss the kid if he happened to take him home with him when he left the next day.

Christmas morning had been utter chaos. There had been squeals and shouts of excitement, wrapping paper thrown every direction, and more toys than either kid would ever be able to play with. They'd spent the rest of the day putting together new toys and visiting with Eric's family who had come for dinner. As the two kids finally settled down enough to watch one of their new movies after dinner, Wade decided to keep in the spirit of things and help his sister clean up the kitchen.

"You really don't need to do that," Meredith said from the sink as Wade loaded the dishwasher.

"You cooked dinner and did everything else. I reckon this is the least I can do," he answered. They worked in relative silence, the sound of the kids' movie floating back to them.

"Want some coffee or hot chocolate before you go?" Meredith asked as Wade put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. She almost asked him to stay another night, but knew he wouldn't do it. Things had already gone too well and she didn't want to jeopardize it and knew he wouldn't either.

"Coffee would be good," Wade answered. He took a seat at the kitchen table while Meredith used her Keurig to make a couple mugs of coffee. He pulled out his phone to reply to the text Zoe had sent him while he'd been helping with dishes. He smiled when she replied almost instantly, using just emoticons to describe her 'moderately successful' Christmas dinner.

"You've been glued to that phone all evening," Meredith commented, setting a mug down in front of Wade and then taking a seat at the table.

"Just replyin' to texts," he said. "It'd be right rude of me not to reply 'Merry Christmas' to the Mayor of Bluebell." Meredith shook her head.

"You might be texting Lavon Hayes, but I have a feeling its Zoe Hart that's got your fingers flying across that keyboard every few minutes," she said.

"I… It's not…," Wade stuttered. He didn't want to talk about Zoe with his sister. That was one area of his left he wanted to keep to himself for now.

"Save it," Meredith said, holding up her hand. "Annabeth and Lemon both called me the other day to tell me you were walking through the town square holding hands with the lady doctor. Of course, Lemon was scandalized by it, but I get the impression she doesn't much care for Dr. Hart."

"Lemon don't much care for nobody," Wade replied.

"So you don't deny it."

"No point, is there? Your friends keep you in the loop."

"So?" Meredith asked, looking expectant. "Are you together? Is she going to be my new sister-in-law?" Wade looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"I ain't even taken her on a date yet. I damn sure ain't thinkin' 'bout gettin' married," he told her.

"Just asking," Meredith said. She took a long swig of her coffee and decided on her next plan of attack to pry information out of her brother about his love life. She settled on using her kids. "Mac really loved her," she commented. "She talked and talked about 'Miss Dr. Hart' after she cleaned up her knee on Halloween. Seems like all it takes to impress her is three bandages and two lollipops."

"Mac didn't act like she loved her," Wade said, remembering the fit it his niece had thrown in Zoe's office while Zoe tried to clean up her scraped knee.

"Well that's Mac for you. Head strong as can be. Eric says it's the Kinsella in her. I have to say, I think he's probably right." Wade chuckled.

"Yeah," he agreed. "We're a bullheaded bunch." Meredith played with her mug, spinning it between her hands. It was the biggest understatement she'd heard, Wade calling their family bullheaded. Each of them was more stubborn than the last.

"I wish daddy would have come," she admitted, thinking Earl Kinsella was probably the most stubborn of them all even though Wade gave him a run for his money. "Eric offered to go get him and everything, but he refused. He wouldn't come up for Thanksgiving either."

"You know the holidays are hard on him," Wade said. "'Sides, he's not exactly the kind of guy I'd want around my kids."

"I know," Meredith agreed. "But still. He's daddy." Wade didn't say anything. As far as he was concerned, his father was best left to his liquor bottle come the holiday season. It was, by far, the worst time of the year for him, his alcohol consumption even higher than usual. "So, things going well at the Rammer Jammer?" Meredith asked, changing the subject.

"Busy as always," Wade said. "But it's the only bar in town so I reckon that helps out."

"Daddy ever come in?" she asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice. Wade shook his head.

"Not once. Just as well. The last thing he needs is to be around even more alcohol." They lapsed into silence again, drinking their coffee, Meredith lost in thought, Wade texting both Zoe and Lavon.

"I miss Momma," Meredith suddenly said. Wade, not expecting that from his sister, stopped mid-text and looked at her. She was near tears. "Sorry," she said. "I just… Being a mom and it's the holidays… I've been thinking about her, how much she'd have loved being a grandma and how different things would be for Daddy."

"She'd have loved being a grandma," Wade agreed. He tapped the table, debating on whether he wanted to tell his sister about Zoe's gift. Looking at her look so sad, he decided it couldn't hurt, even if it meant letting Meredith in on how his potential relationship was going. "You know, Zoe gave me an LP of Willie Nelson's version of "Moon River." Meredith looked at him.

"You told her about Momma?" she asked, clearly surprised. Wade nodded.

"Kinda had to. Dad came by my place on his way into town on the first of last month. I won't home, but Zoe heard him. She asked me who 'Mary Ellen' was and I told her." Meredith shook her head.

"You could have just told her that Mary Ellen was our mom and that she died," she said. "Sounds like you told her a lot more than that. You must really like her."

"I do," Wade admitted. "She's – well, she's something else." He grinned, his cheeks coloring a little, both at his confession and that he'd just admitted that to his sister of all people.

"She makes you happy. I can tell. You've changed. You'd have never sat here and talked to me like an actual adult six months ago." Wade couldn't argue. Until Halloween, they hadn't spoken to each other in three months after a fight over everything from why Wade never visited to what to do about their father.

"Been considerin' growin' up," Wade told her. He finished off his coffee. "I reckon I should get goin.' Long drive back to Bluebell and I'm openin' tomorrow." He went into the living room to tell the kids and Eric goodbye and retrieve his gifts to take back to Bluebell. Meredith met him at the front door with a plate of leftovers.

"Thank you for coming," she told him, reaching for a hug. "It was nice, having you here. The kids especially loved it."

"You know, I'm glad I came," he confessed, hugging her back. "You won't the pain in the ass I thought you was gonna be." Meredith smacked his arm as she let him go.

"Text me when you get home." Wade rolled his eyes. Meredith eyed him. "Don't. I'm your big sister. I'll always worry."

"Bye, sis," Wade said. He gave her one more hug before he left. He waited until he'd navigated his way out of his sister's subdivision and merged onto the interstate before he picked up his cellphone. He speed-dialed Zoe, wondering when she'd made her way into his top numbers.

* * *

><p>"You've been quiet," Sybil commented. She joined Zoe on the sofa having just seen their last guest, an old college friend, to the door.<p>

"Lots of people," Zoe said. "Lots and lots of people."

It had been a long day. It hadn't been a terrible day, but it had been a long one. She had attended Midnight Mass and then laid awake for a while, unable to sleep, before finally drifting off, only to be woken up early by her mother for a quiet Christmas morning, just the two of them. Her elderly grandparents had arrived a little after nine for breakfast and the day had been whiled away with them.

Just before dinner, the rest of her family had started arriving. Aunts, uncles, cousins, friends of the family who for one reason or another weren't home for the holidays. There had been a few 'how is your father?' like questions that she had deflected with a well-placed 'fine' before exclusing herself from the conversation quickly. So far, she had managed to avoid her father's family. It helped that they celebrated Hanukkah instead of Christmas and that she was in New York where it was easy to disappear. She still had to deal with whatever would come of that, but she had decided she would take things as they came.

"You couldn't stop talking about Bluebell," Sybil commented.

"What else was I supposed to talk about? It's been my life for the last several months. I made it as exciting as I could."

"Wade came up often."

"Mom…," Zoe warned. She didn't know what Wade and her were, but she wouldn't want to discuss it with her mother even if she did. Their relationship, while better than it had been in a long time, still wasn't repaired enough for Zoe to start dishing on her love life to her mother.

"Well he did," Sybil countered. "I've told you, Zoe. I like him. I think he's good for you. And he's certainly head over heels for you." Zoe didn't say anything. Things with Wade were still so new and so unknown. Sure, she'd mentioned him, but it had been more of 'my neighbor Wade' and not 'Wade, the guy I like and wish would hurry up and ask me on a date.'

"Have you thought about what you're going to do when your year is up in Bluebell?"

Zoe looked up. She wasn't expecting that.

"I still have months," she answered.

"Have you put in your application for the fellowship?" Sybil pushed.

"Yeah," Zoe admitted. She had filled it out the day it had been made available, the same day she'd butted heads with Brick even more so than usual.

"Is that still what you want?"

Zoe didn't have an answer for her mother. When she'd filled out the application, it was what she wanted more than anything. Now, as she started to find her footing in Bluebell, she couldn't exactly say what she wanted. She still had months to figure it out though and so she wasn't going to worry about it right now, especially as it was still technically Christmas.

"I'm going to turn in," she said, standing. "I'm meeting Gigi early tomorrow morning to do some shopping. I haven't seen her since I've been back and I haven't been sleeping all that well lately so any extra shut eye I can get would be amazing."

"Good night," Sybil told her. "And Zoe?" Zoe turned in the doorway and looked at her mom. "You've always followed your head, done what you thought you should do. Maybe you should follow your heart for a change, she what happens."

Zoe pursed her lips and nodded. "Night, mom," she said, wandering up the stairs to her room. She checked her phone to see if Wade had texted her anymore since their exchange of emoticons earlier. He hadn't. Lavon had, however, and she sent a reply. She lay across her bed and tapped the mattress, thinking while trying not to think at all, and trying to drown out the roaring sound of the city rushing by below her window. She couldn't remember it ever being so loud. She was brought out of her revere by her phone ringing. It was Wade.

"Hey," she greeted, picking up halfway through the second ring.

"Hey," he replied. His accent seemed more pronounced than usual, though perhaps that was because she'd spent the last few days surrounded by people with heavy northern accents. "You busy?"

"Nope," Zoe told him. "I just told my mom goodnight. Now I'm hiding in my old room until morning. Too much family time." Wade chuckled.

"Good," he said. "You can keep me company while I drive back to Bluebell." Zoe got comfortable, leaning against her pillows.

"I can do that," she confirmed. "How was Christmas in Mobile?" She was content to listen as he described his holiday, taking in how he dropped the 'g' off of word endings and marveling at the fact that she now understood the phrase 'fixin' to.'

* * *

><p>"Zoe!"<p>

"Gigi!"

The two friends embraced each other in front of the diner they'd agreed to meet at, hugging tightly. They'd been best friends since grade school and of all the people Zoe had left behind in New York, Gigi was the one she missed the most. Gigi released Zoe and held her at arm's length, like a mother taking a good look at a child she hadn't seen in some time.

"You are so tan!" Gigi exclaimed. "You've got to be practically sleeping in the tanning bed!" Zoe shook her head.

"You know I hate those things," she said. "This is all natural. It's still 70 degrees in Alabama and I'm still wearing shorts. It's definitely more natural than your hair color. You're blond again! You were a brunette the last time I saw you!" Gigi let go of her friend and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"People take me more seriously when I'm a blond," she stated. Zoe raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. 'Gigi' and 'seriously' didn't generally go in the same sentence, regardless of hair color.

"Shall we?" Zoe asked, nodding towards the diner. "I'm starving."

"Lead the way," Gigi answered. The girls settled at a table and the waitress brought the coffee's they requested then waited to take their order. "I'll just have wheat toast and a side of fruit," Gigi said, handing the waitress her menu.

"Pancakes with a side of bacon," Zoe ordered. "Thanks." She turned back to Gigi to see her looking at her incredulously. "What?"

"That's, like, 5,000 calories," Gigi pointed out. Zoe shrugged.

"So?"

"So? The Zoe I sent to Bellville, Alabama would give up her scalpel before she ate that many carbs in a week!"

"Bluebell," Zoe corrected. "I live in Bluebell. And I've decided that in the grand scheme of things, carbs aren't so bad. But enough about them. Tell me what's new with you. I haven't talked to you in like, three weeks."

Gigi launched into a detailed recap of what she'd been up to and how her party planning business was going. There was a lot of glitz and glamour scattered throughout her tale, Zoe noticed. She once would have been impressed that Jake Gyllenhaal had been at Gigi's last event and had asked for her card. Now, as she nibbled bacon not quite cooked to her liking, she wondered in the back of her mind if old Mrs. Thompson was taking the antibiotic she'd prescribed for her respiratory infection like she was supposed to.

"Is your food okay?" Gigi asked, noticing Zoe had hardly touched it. "You keep making this face each time you bite into the bacon."

"It's just cooked different than I'm used to," Zoe answered.. "At the Rammer Jammer, they cook it until it's not quite burnt, but crispy. And I think this syrup is sugar free. It tastes funny." Gigi raised an eyebrow.

"The Rammer what?" she asked.

The Rammer Jammer," Zoe repeated. "It's the bar in town."

"The bar? As in, the only one?" Zoe nodded.

"They have a good drink selection. The music can be decent and the food is pretty good. It's the place to be when Alabama football is on. Wade makes sure they have non-boxed wine for me behind the bar, so I really can't complain."

"Wade?"

"My neighbor. He bartends there."

"Wait. Wade. The power stealing buffoon. Rock bottom. Dixie. I remember him." Zoe cringed but not because of the events that had occurred while she was straddling Wade, half crazed and full drunk, on her first night in Bluebell. Lately, she'd wondered how different things would have been had she not sat back on his steering wheel.

"I was wrong about him," she told Gigi. "He still likes to use more than his fair share of the power, but he's – sweet."

"Zoe Hart just used the word 'sweet' to describe a guy," Gigi stated, looking at her in disbelief. "You're eating carbs and saying buys are 'sweet.' What in the hell has Bluebell done to you?" Zoe smiled.

"Wade is sweet," she said. "He's not the kind of guy I thought he was. Or maybe he was the kind of guy I thought he was, but he's changed."

"Oh my God. You like him." Gigi looked shocked.

"Yeah," Zoe admitted. "A lot, actually."

"Oh my God," Gigi said again. "My best friend, my New York City born and bred best friend, is in love with a bartender from Alabama. Oh my God." A thought struck her and she hit the table with both hands. "Oh my God! Does your mother know?" She couldn't see Sybil being happy about this.

"Mom has met him," Zoe confirmed. "Under extreme circumstances, but she likes him. A lot. And love is a really strong word. It's still early in the game."

"Sybil Hart? Are you sure we're talking about the same woman? Because the Sybil Hart I know would have laid down and died before she let her brilliant surgeon daughter fall for a bartender in Alabama."

"Mom is – different," Zoe said. She swigged her coffee. "Ever since the truth came out about my dad, she's been more… Well, more of a mother, I guess, if that makes sense. We like – actually like each other. Sort of." She had confessed to Gigi about her mother's affair, knowing her secret was safe with her oldest friend. True to her word, Gigi hadn't uttered a word.

"Okay, so your mom likes him. Whatever. Details. What's he like? What does he look like? Have you been out on a date yet?" Gigi was off, eager to know everything she could about Zoe's suddenly interesting love life. Zoe pulled out her phone, almost giddy now that Gigi was so interested. It was like being a sophomore in high school all over again when she'd confessed to Gigi she'd made out with Eric Sanchez, a senior bound for Duke on a basketball scholarship.

"This is him," Zoe told her, passing her the phone.

"Are you laying on the ground?" Gigi asked incredulously as she looked at the small screen.

"Yep," Zoe confirmed. "He threw me in a pile of leaves, I snapped a picture."

"Wow," Gig said, taking a closer look at the picture. "He's freaking hot."

"Yeah," Zoe admitted, taking her phone back. She looked at the photo, a smile playing across her face. She quickly flipped through the photos, most of them of something so strictly Bluebell she had to have a picture to post on Facebook, to the only picture she had of Wade. She'd snapped it while he was driving her to the airport. He'd looked over at her, one hand on the wheel, his aviators resting on the bridge of his nose, laughing easily at some she'd said. It was so very Wade. She smiled at it, feeling a pang from somewhere deep down.

"Hello? Zoe? Details. Now," Gigi demanded.

"Okay, okay," Zoe said. "He's… Well, he's got a reputation as the town Casanova, but he's calmed down in the last few months. When I first moved to Bluebell he had a different girl over every night, could be seen all over town picking up women. Rumor has it he's been known to drive to the next town over for variety. He has spent so much time trying to get in my pants. You wouldn't believe the lines he's used. He even offered to 'lend me a cup of sugar' if I ever needed one.

"He can be so unbelievably immature, so incredibly obnoxious, but then he turns around and says something or does something that makes you forget you're mad at him. I tried to win this gumbo cook off thing and my gumbo was so bad. So, so bad, Gigi. But I somehow ended up winning second place. I thought Lavon had made my gumbo but I found out just before Thanksgiving that Wade made it. He didn't want me to know though, long story.

"He has a heart of god, but he doesn't let many people see it. I think that's a defense mechanism, maybe, I don't know. I haven't quite cracked that one yet. As for a date, he hasn't taken me on one yet. He told me he was going to, but that was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and he has yet to ask me. I'm given him… Well, I was going to give him until New Year's, but seeing as I'm here and he's there, I'm going to extend his deadline by a week. Then, I'm going to take matters into my own hands."

Gigi gaped at Zoe as she finished rambling. "This? This isn't just some cute little crush on a hot bartender who also happens to be your neighbor. You're freaking head over heels for this guy."

"I'm… stumbling over my heels," Zoe amended. "But enough chatting. I have been in New York for three days and haven't so much as stepped foot into a store. Grab your purse and let's get going." Zoe dropped enough cash on the table to cover their bill and, linking arms with Gigi, headed out the door to do some major damage to next month's credit card statements.

* * *

><p>Zoe's arms were aching as she lugged bag after bag down the street, Gigi suffering in similar fashion beside her. The sun was quickly sinking and the cold had Zoe shivering and eager to get inside the restaurant they'd decided on for an early dinner. A man was going in as Zoe and Gigi reached the door. She walked right up to it, expecting him to hold it for her. Instead, it slammed in her face.<p>

"Hey!" she called through the door. "You jerk!" He turned and gave her a dirty look and continued into the restaurant. A few flakes of snow floated down from the sky, making her shiver even more.

"What are you yelling at him for?" Gigi asked. She juggled her bags to open the door.

"He could have held it for us," Zoe said, her voice thick with irritation as she passed Gigi. "And thank God it's warm in here. I'm sure I've lost a few fingers by now. Maybe a couple of toes too." She told the hostess there were two of them and they followed her to a table. "Can you go ahead and bring two coffees to start with?" she asked the waitress as they deposited their bags on the floor and sat down.

"I'm good on coffee, thanks," Gigi told the waitress. "Just a water with lemon to start for me." She turned to Zoe.

"Coffee?" she asked. "This is usually when you turn to wine."

"I'm cold," Zoe answered. "Freezing, actually. This is the first time I've worn an actual coat since March. Shorts in December in Alabama, remember?"

"That's just not natural," Gigi stated, looking around. "Love their Christmas décor. I wonder who did it? Don't let me leave without finding out. I want to see more of their work. Maybe I can use them." She took her phone out and started snapping covert pictures.

"You should see Bluebell's town square," Zoe told her. "It's full of plastic Santas, animated, light up reindeer wearing Alabama Santa hats and seven foot tall nutcrackers. Oh, and they have this wooden mural thing of Santa and his reindeer flying through the sky – with a gun rack mounted to the back of the sleigh. Can't make this up. The lights hanging everywhere are kind of pretty though." Gigi looked at her, her phone still held up taking photos.

"You realize that's like the fiftieth time you've brought up Bluebell today, right?" she asked Zoe.

"So? I live there. It's all I've got to talk about."

"Or. You actually like it there."

"Well, it's not terrible," Zoe admitted. "The mosquitos are God awful and the humidity does a number on my hair, but it's growing on me. The people are nice and they look out for you. And, the guys? They hold doors open for women – even when they don't have their hands full of bags."

"It's Alabama," Gigi reminded her seriously.

"Yeah," Zoe agreed. "It is." She thanked the waitress for her coffee.

"So what? Does that mean you're considering staying?"

"It means I have months before they even decide who gets the fellowship and when that happens, I'll make decisions," Zoe said in a tone that made Gigi understand that particular part of their conversation was over.

"So what are you ordering?" Gigi asked, opening her menu. Zoe smiled. She could always count on Gigi to catch on quickly.

* * *

><p>"Did you leave anything in the store?" Sybil asked, watching as Zoe and Gigi struggled through the penthouse doors carrying bags upon bags.<p>

"Just the ugly and unfortunate stuff," Gigi answered. She dropped her bags unceremoniously in the foyer, Zoe doing the same. Gigi put her hands on her hips and turned on Sybil.

"Sybil Hart. I just want to make sure I'm not being lied to. Did you know your daughter is falling head over heels for a bartender in Alabama?" Sybil looked at Gigi with an amused sort of expression. She understood Gigi's surprise. She hadn't exactly been welcoming of some of Zoe's former flings, based solely on their undergrad majors.

"Wade? Yes, I'm aware of Zoe and Wade. But to be fair, he's not a bartender." Zoe frowned.

"Yes he is," she said.

"Well he does bartend," Sybil agreed. "But he's actually the bar owner." Zoe shook her head.

"No he's not," she said, even as she realized she had absolutely no idea who actually did own the Rammer Jammer and seeing as everyone knew everything about everyone else in Bluebell, that was an oddity.

"He is so," Sybil said, looking at Zoe as though it were the most obvious knowledge in the world. "I asked Lavon who owned the place so I could give them my compliments on that po'boy contraption you had me try. To quote him, he said 'Well, if you happen to see Wade again before you leave, give him you compliments. It's his fine establishment.'"

"But…," Zoe was lost for words. Surely she would know if Wade was the owner of the Rammer Jammer. That was the sort of thing you knew about a person you were kind of dating.

"As it turns out, I did happen to see Wade before I left – which, seeing as how much he's around you, wasn't very surprising – and I did pay my compliments. He thanked me and recommended I try the barbecue the next time I'm in town."

Zoe was tempted to take out her phone and call Wade right then and there to confirm the news. Instead, she decided she'd wait until she was back in Bluebell. The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed that he did, in fact, own the place. He was always reminding people when their shifts were and she rarely paid for a drink, surely he couldn't just give alcohol away like that if he were a mere employee. Plus, she'd noticed he tended to make his own schedule at the place, coming and going as he pleased. Again, that was surely something he wouldn't get away with if he were just an employee.

"An entrepreneur. I like it," Gigi said, nodding her head in approval. "Sounds much better than bartender." Zoe rolled her eyes, tabling her pondering of who owned the Rammer Jammer and whether or not she was going to be upset with Wade for not telling her for her return flight to Alabama.

"Gigi and I are going to watch a couple of movies," she told her mom. "You can join us if you want." Sybil shook her head.

"I've got a few projects I want to work on for clients," she said. "You girls have fun. I'll have Andrew bring in some snacks in a little while." They left their bags in the foyer and got comfortable in the family room, popping in the first of what they planned to be several chick flicks. They were 30 minutes into the first movie when Zoe's cell phone chimed.

_Hope you ain't too fond of Lavon. Might kill him._

Zoe smiled at Wade's text. _Why? _She desperately wanted to ask him about the Rammer Jammer, but thought that was a conversation to have in person.

_He volunteered me 2 help hang decorations for the New Year's Eve Dance. Those women are crazier than u. _

_Hey! _Zoe texted back

_You're hotter though. These women are all old and wrinkled. Or Lemon. _

Zoe laughed out loud.

"What?" Gigi asked, peeling her eyes away from a mostly naked _Matthew McConaughey._

"Wade's texting me. Apparently Lavon volunteered him to help the ladies in charge of decorating for the New Year's Eve party. He says they're crazier than me. But, I'm hotter," Zoe told her. She turned her attention back to her phone, missing the wheels in Gigi's mind start turning.

"I have an idea," Gigi said casually.

"Dare I ask?" Zoe replied. She'd been involved in a number of Gigi's ideas. They were generally bad and involved consequences like hangovers and apologies for drunken text messages and phone calls and once, there was a police escort to her mother's front door.

"New Year's Eve in Time's Square is kind of 'been there, done that.' I mean, we've gone nearly every single year since we were what? Thirteen? There was the time we went skiing in Lake Tahoe with those guys we liked and then we went to L.A. that year, but otherwise, we've been partying with the masses, just better dressed and generally at a swanky party, last year coordinated by yours truly. So here's my plan. I say we skip out on Time's Square this year and… wait for it… We got to – Bluebell, Alabama!"

Zoe looked at Gigi like she'd lost her mind.

"You – you – want to go to Bluebell for New Year's Eve?" she asked. "You realize their New Year's Eve party consists of a dance at the community center and judging by Wade's texts, balloons falling from the ceiling at midnight, right? There won't be large crystal balls or millions of people or even cold temperatures."

"It'll be an experience," Gigi said, still looking enthusiastic about her idea. "I figure it's kind of like going back in time, doing what people did before Times Square. Except they had to take a horse and wagon to get there and we can take a plane!"

Zoe was still skeptical. Her phone chimed again.

_He's dead. But blame Rose. He's trying to get her to dress like baby New Year. _

Zoe smiled.

"Okay," she agreed. "Let's go to Bluebell."

* * *

><p><strong>So there we have it. In my story, Wade owns the Rammer Jammer. But the question is, is that the secret he's been keeping? Hmm... Like I said though, this is a filler that's - not a filler at all. :) <strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	14. Sweet Home Alabama

**WHEW! I didn't think I'd EVER get this thing updated! I've been traveling for the holidays and just couldn't seem to find the time to finish it in between all the festivities. I'm still remarkably behind in replying to all of your reviews, but I'm determined to catch up this weekend. They all mean so much to me and I just hate that I haven't had a chance to thank you each personally! **

**And okay, fine. I started reading The Hunger Games and couldn't put it down. Maybe that's all I did the day after Christmas... :) And now, New Year's in Bluebell! **

**THINGS I OWN: Paula Deen pots and pans. Basically, I'm cooking everything. Thanks, Daddy! THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>The Rammer Jammer was quiet, just like it always was during the week between Christmas and New Year's. It was the same all over Bluebell, everyone in a holiday hangover, biding their time for the big New Year's Eve dance. He liked it that way, a slow trickle of people in and out, grabbing a quick bite to eat or maybe having a couple of drinks before continuing on with their day or night. It was the closest thing he got to a vacation most years.<p>

He was taking advantage of the slow week to catch up on things he'd gotten behind on in recent months. Tonight, that was cleaning out and re-arranging behind the bar, something he generally got to just the one time a year. As he polished the water spots off the tumblers that had just came out of the dishwasher, he made a mental list of all the things he wanted to get done in the next few days, both around the bar and around the plantation, figuring in when he might be able to steal off for a few hours to fish in between.

It occurred to him he needed to put plastic over the windows of Zoe's carriage house soon to keep out what little chill Bluebell would see during the winter. The old house was drafty and he figured since Zoe wasn't very big, she'd probably get colder quicker. He absentmindedly pulled out his phone and checked for texts, trying not to feel mildly disappointed when there weren't any. He hadn't heard so much as a peep from Zoe all day and while he wasn't necessarily concerned and understood that she was probably spending time with friends and family she hadn't seen in a while, he did kind of miss hearing from her. If she wasn't in Bluebell, talking to her was the next best thing.

"I'll have a glass of wine," came a familiar voice. Wade whipped his head around so fast, he cricked his neck. "Even if it's out of a box." Zoe Hart was standing on the other side of the bar, wearing her usual leggings, oversized sweater and boots. She looked tired, but all Wade clearly saw was the smile on her face.

"Zoe?" he asked in disbelief, rubbing his now sore neck. "What…? I thought… I was gonna pick you up from the airport in a few days…" Zoe laughed and shook her head.

"Change of plans," she said. Wade nodded, his mind still trying to catch up with his senses telling him Zoe was right there in front of him, that he hadn't heard from her all day likely because she was traveling back to Bluebell.

"Come here," he said, jerking his head towards the end of the bar. He rounded the bar just as she made it to the end and scooped her into a bear hug, lifting her off her feet as her arms wrapped around him. She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes and savoring the feeling of being in his arms, her nose filling with the light cologne he was wearing. She realized in that moment just how much she'd missed him.

"Seriously, what are you doin' here?" he asked, loosening his grip on her, but keeping his arms wrapped around her waist. The few bar patrons continued to eat their meals and drink their drinks, but by morning, their reunion would be the talk of Bluebell. As much as Wade wanted to kiss her, he didn't. They'd already given the town enough to talk about. "I thought you won't comin' back 'til late New Year's Day."

"My friend Gigi decided Times Square on New Year's Eve was too 'been there, done that' and wanted to come experience Bluebell. And so, here we are."

"Gigi… Party planner, right?" Wade asked, recalling details of Zoe's best friend. "Where is she?" He scanned the bar for an unfamiliar face but didn't spy one.

"Passed out across my bed," Zoe admitted. "She wasn't quite prepared for two flights plus the drive from Mobile – even if it was in Lavon's top of the line Navigator instead of a bus like my first trip. It definitely didn't help that Burt Reynolds was hanging out on my porch when Lavon dropped us off."

"I don't know if Bluebell can handle two city slickers," Wade commented. "One fast talkin,' short short wearin' New Yorker might be all this town can handle. It's for sure all I can handle."

"I don't know if Gigi can handle Bluebell," Zoe admitted. She reached out and absentmindedly played with Wade's necklace. "She's more 'city' than me. And her shorts? Even shorter." Wade raised an eyebrow.

"More city than you?" he asked. "I ain't sure that's possible." Zoe laughed. Wade squeezed her one more time and then let her go. "Still want that wine?"

"Please," Zoe confirmed. She took a seat on her usual barstool while Wade poured her a glass of wine. He picked up his rag and resumed drying glasses.

"So how was New York?" he asked.

"It was great," Zoe answered honestly. "My mom and I had a pleasant, drama-free Christmas, I caught up with friends, did some shopping… nothing to complain about, really."

"How was being back around the noise?" Wade asked, recalling how Zoe had told him on Thanksgiving she missed the noise of New York the most. He watched as she frowned ever so slightly.

"It was… Noisy," she said truthfully. "It kept me up. All the sirens and horns. I don't remember it being that loud. Maybe it was just even more traffic than usual because of the holidays and all."

"Or maybe these quiet Bluebell nights are growin' on you," Wade mused. Zoe didn't reply. She couldn't bring herself to give him the satisfaction of being right. She wasn't quite able to admit to herself that there was something almost soothing about the quiet Southern nights that were now her norm.

"How was your Christmas?" Zoe asked, turning the tables on him. He shrugged as he continued to dry glass after glass and line them up in neat rows on the bar.

"Not bad," he confessed. "My sister won't as bad as I thought she'd be. It was good to spend some time with Mac and Jake. Even if I did have to watch some show about superhero pets five hundred times. I guess I can't complain."

"Was your dad there?" Zoe asked. She had wondered where Earl had spent Christmas, how he fit into the equation with Wade, Meredith and his drinking problem.

"Nah," Wade answered, shaking his head. "It might not seem possible, but he drinks even more at Christmastime. We just let him to it. He ain't gonna put the bottle down and Meredith's kids don't need to be around him like that." Zoe wasn't sure how to reply so she reached across the bar, caught his hand, and squeezed it to let him know she was on his side. He gave her a small smile and started moving the glasses back onto the rack they belonged on until the next customer came along.

Zoe busied herself with her wine, sneaking looks at Wade. She wanted to ask him about the Rammer Jammer, learn how his name ended up on the deed and why she didn't know he owned it. She watched as he greeted a man she recognized by face only and fixed him a drink. He returned to her and his glasses, giving her a grin that made his eyes sparkle.

"You know, I sure am glad to see you," he admitted. "It was weird, goin' all that time without having to put in a new fuse."

"It was weird being able to plug in my curling iron and hair dryer at the same time," she retorted. Wade laughed lightly as Zoe swirled her wine around in her glass. She looked up at him, but his back was to her. "Hey Wade?" He turned back to her. "Can I ask you something? It um, might be a little weird." Wade grinned.

"Weird?" he asked. "Or kinky? 'Cause I could be into that." Zoe gave him a look that told him to be serious. "You can ask me anything," he told her sincerely. Zoe took a deep breath.

"Do you own the Rammer Jammer?" she asked, getting right to the point. Wade looked surprised at her question.

"Yeah," he said in a tone that told her it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's all mine. Bar flies, mouthy waitresses, and all."

"Seriously?" Zoe asked. Even though her mother had insisted it was his, even though Lavon had confirmed it when he'd picked her and Gigi up from the airport earlier, hearing Wade confirm it made it so. "How did I not know that?" Wade frowned.

"You didn't know this was my place?" he asked. Zoe shook her head.

"No idea," she said. "My mom was telling Gigi about the po'boy she had here and it came up that you were the owner." She figured Wade didn't need to know the real reason he was the topic of conversation - because Gigi couldn't believe her mother approved of Zoe dating a bartender.

"You had no idea?" Wade asked again, finding it hard to believe.

"None," Zoe confirmed.

"Huh," Wade said. He put the last glass on the rack and leaned on the bar in front of Zoe. "I figured you did."

"I can't believe you never mentioned it," Zoe told him. Wade shrugged.

"Didn't think I had to," he said. "Everyone around these parts knows this is my bar. I figured someone filled you in along the way." Wade looked at her, a thought crossing his mind. "You ain't mad, are you?" he asked. "'Cause it won't like I was tryin' to keep it from you. I just reckoned you knew like everyone else." He was strongly reminded in that moment why he was no good at relationships.

"No," Zoe said, shaking her head. "I'm not mad. I'm just – surprised, I guess. I don't know."

"I reckon I don't come off as the business type, huh?" Wade said. Zoe realized she may have offended him and quickly started to back pedal.

"That's not what I mean," she said quickly. "It's just… I mean… I thought that…" Wade leaned over the bar and kissed her quickly to shut her up.

"Hush, girl," he said when he pulled away. "You're talkin' in circles." Zoe looked guilty.

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded," she told him.

"I get it," Wade said, because he did. "I've got myself a reputation for not bein' the most responsible guy around town. If I'm bein' honest, this place is probably the one thing I've ever taken seriously." He made sure he looked Zoe square in the eye so she'd know he was referring to her with his next statement. "At least until recently."

"Well I do have to give you credit on your wine selection," Zoe said, holding up her glass before taking another sip. "This is definitely not out of a box."

"That's from the VIP stock," Wade told her seriously. "See, this demanding Yankee moved to town and she likes her wine a whole lot. Seems it's her…"

"If you say 'slutty Achilles' heel,' I'm going to dump this on you," Zoe threatened him. Wade just laughed.

"Listen, I've got some stuff to finish up in back – pay roll, next week's schedule. How 'bout you stick around? It won't take me long. Then I'll drive us home." Zoe nodded.

"Gigi's down for the night anyway," she said. "She'll never know if I'm there or not."

Wade jerked his head for her to follow him. "Bring that glass of VIP wine and you can keep me company." He told the only other employee working the slow night where he'd be then led Zoe through a door behind the bar marked 'Employees Only' and into a small, cluttered office by the kitchen. "Have a seat," he said as he moved a jacket off the one extra chair in the room. Zoe did so while Wade settled in behind the old wooden desk and reached for a sheath of paper.

Zoe decided the experience could only be classified as weird. She hadn't thought Wade was completely irresponsible, exactly, seeing as he went to work every day, took care of his father, and kept the plantation in tip-top shape. But she knew he also liked to have a good time and somehow, seeing him bent over a piece of paper, penciling in names and working numbers, seemed out of place.

"How long have you owned this place?" she asked.

"It's been the Rammer Jammer for five, six years now," he answered, not looking up. "But remember how I said I learned to cook hangin' in the kitchen with my momma?" He glanced up at Zoe in time to see her nod. "Well, it won't the kitchen at home. It was the one right outside the door, there." Zoe took a moment to process what he'd just said.

"So this was your mom's place?" she asked. Wade nodded.

"She bought it when I was a kid, maybe four or five. She tried the whole stay at home mom thing, but she missed workin.' She called it 'The Front Porch' and served up southern cookin' like you wouldn't believe. Other than me and my sister, it was her pride and joy. Remember Mrs. H? She was momma's best friend. Momma asked her to take over the place when she got sick, keep it runnin' at least until Meredith or me was old enough to take over, if we wanted to."

"I'm guessing Meredith didn't want to?" Zoe asked. She'd only met Wade's sister once and it was brief at that, but she didn't seem like the type to spend day after day frying anything that would fit into a pan of batter.

"She tried," Wade answered. "She went off to college, came back here after she graduated to take the place off Mrs. H's hands. But she'd met Eric while she was at school and she never really wanted to take over to begin with. So, long story short, I stepped up. 'Bout ran it into the ground, tryin' to keep it the way Momma had it. I just didn't have her knack for it. I was thinkin' of puttin' it up for sale when the only bar in town closed down. I got a crazy idea to make the place a bar and it was just crazy enough to work, I guess."

Zoe listened intently as Wade told her the story behind the Rammer Jammer, her knees pulled up to her chest in the chair as she sipped her wine. Not for the first time, she was struck by how hard Wade's life must have been.

"You're pretty incredible, you know that?" she told him, blurting out what was on her mind. Wade looked at her as he shuffled through his papers. She could tell he had no idea what she was talking about. "You've had a lot of curve balls thrown at you, but you've managed to come out on the other side." Wade's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"That's just life, Doc," he said. "Nothin' special." Zoe shook her head in disagreement, but didn't continue. She knew he was too proud, too modest, to admit he'd done all right. Her phone rang out and Gigi's name flashed on the screen.

"Hey," she said, answering. Wade continued working on his papers, wondering again how he'd ended up lucky enough to have Zoe spend time with him as he listened in to her side of the conversation. It sounded like Gigi had had another encounter with Bluebell's wildlife population.

"Thought she was sleep," he commented when Zoe finally hung up.

"She was," Zoe confirmed. "It seems those mouse traps you set before I left aren't working. She woke up and a mouse – or according to her, a giant man-eating mutant of a rat – was sitting on the nightstand watching her." Wade had to struggle to keep from laughing out right.

"You know what's wrong with those traps?" he asked. "Someone threw a fit over the first ones I bought, said they didn't want to kill the mouse, just get it out of her house."

"It's mean to kill it," Zoe protested.

"Fine. Let it run around your place, havin' babies and makin' nests in your fancy shoes." Zoe rolled her eyes.

"It's not doing either of those things," she stated.

"How do you know? You ain't been home for a week. Have you even opened up your closet yet? You could have a whole litter of mouse babies living in those sparkly high heels of yours." Zoe frowned, thinking. Wade had a point. And she wasn't exactly fond of the mouse droppings she happened upon every once in a while.

"Fine," she said. "Set whatever trap you want. But I need to get going. Gigi's about to have a stroke." She stood to leave, not really wanting to leave Wade's company just yet, nor walk back home after he'd offered her a ride.

"I'm done here," he said, signing one last paper that would ensure his employees got paid on time. "Randy can handle closing." He stood and picked up his jacket. "Let's go hunt us down a mouse."

* * *

><p>He whistled as he worked, cutting, fitting and nailing plastic to Zoe's windows in a sort of rhythmic pattern. He'd do his house when he was done and then head up to the main house, get some lunch, maybe play a few video games before heading to the Rammer Jammer for the evening. It really wasn't a bad day, all and all.<p>

"What are you doing?" Wade stopped mid-whistle and turned to face Zoe's blond friend he'd met the evening before.

"Well look at that," he said. "You won't eatin' alive by a giant mouse overnight after all." It had been quite the scene when he and Zoe had pulled up to her place. Gigi had been sitting outside, refusing to go back in until the place was eradicated of all mice. Wade had attempted to find the offending creature while Zoe had tried to calm Gigi down, but he'd turned up empty handed as had the traps he'd set overnight. It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Gigi back inside when no mouse was found.

"I don't do rodents," Gigi retorted, her nose turned up slightly. "Seriously, what are you doing? Covering the house in saran wrap?"

"I'm puttin' plastic over the windows," he answered, turning to go back to his work.

"I can see that. What I want to know is why?"

"It don't get too cold for too long down here, but these old houses are drafty. Plastic helps keep the cold out," he told her.

"Why can't you like, just turn up the heat?" Gigi asked, raising an eyebrow. Wade could practically hear her say 'duh' at the end of her sentence. He refrained from audibly sighing and rolled his eyes before looking over his shoulder at her. Zoe really hadn't been kidding that Gigi was even more 'city' than her.

"Because there ain't none," Wade told her. "Least not the kind you city folk are used to. These old houses use wood heat."

"You mean Zoe would have to build a fire if she got cold?" Gigi asked. She sounded appalled. Wade shook his head.

"Zoe ain't figured out how to change a fuse yet. The last thing me or Lavon are gonna let her do is build her own fire. She's got a good space heater in there that'll knock the chill off and if it does get cold enough for her to need a fire, I'll come build one for her." That seemed to appease Gigi so he went back to work, aware that she was still watching him. "Where is Zoe anyhow?" he asked.

"Went into town to check up on a patient, something about her not taking antibiotics like she should or something," Gigi answered dismissively. She crossed her arms, continuing to watch Wade as he nailed plastic to her best friend's windows in the name of keeping her warm. It was one of the more ridiculous things she'd ever seen.

"You need something?" Wade finally asked. It wasn't so much that Gigi was bothering him. It was that she wasn't doing much of anything except standing there. Zoe would have at least maintained a running commentary about the lack of what she deemed proper heating.

"She's my best friend," Gigi replied. Wade raised an eyebrow.

"Zoe?" he asked. Gigi nodded, her face serious. "The way she tells it, you two been best friends since you were kids."

"Since we were in second grade and I told her I liked her dress," Gigi confirmed. "She thanked me and said she liked my headband. We've been best friends ever since."

"Dresses and headbands. The ties that bind," Wade commented.

"She's my best friend," Gigi said again, a certain sternness in her voice. "And she likes you." Wade looked at Gigi. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. "I mean she really likes you. I haven't heard her talk about a guy the way she talks about you – ever. Not even Paul and she dated him for 6 years. You better not be stringing her along."

"Stringin' her along?" Wade asked. "I ain't stringin' her along."

"You sure about that?" Gigi challenged. "You told her six weeks ago you were going to ask her on a date and so far, all she's gotten are a few kisses and a lot of text messages. I know about your reputation. Zoe seems to think you've changed, but I'm not so quick to trust that. A guy will say anything to get the girl. At least to get her long enough for him to get what he wants."

Wade knew he didn't have much choice but to be honest with Gigi. As Zoe's best friend, she was obligated to tell Zoe everything he said. He didn't know much about women, but he knew how they were when it came to their closest friends. His sister had been thick as thieves with Lemon Breeland since they were toddlers. They two told one another everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. He had no doubt that Zoe and Gigi were the same way.

"Zoe ain't just some girl," he told Gigi. "I been chasin' after her since she got here and I'll admit, first it was 'cause I thought she was hot and I wanted in her pants. But she's more than that. A whole lot more than that. And I reckon where y'all come from, if a guy wants a girl, he goes after her. But down here, it's different. We're gentlemen. And if a gentleman likes a girl, he makes sure he goes about courtin' her properly. When I told Zoe I was gonna ask her on a date, I meant it. But I won't gonna ask her just after she found out the guy she was datin' was a drug dealer and her life was in danger and I damn sure won't gonna ask her over the phone while she was in New York. So to answer your question, no, I'm not stringin' her along."

Gigi studied Wade for a long moment, impressed by his speech. She couldn't really find fault in the guy and she had certainly done her best. He did seem like he genuinely cared about Zoe and for now, that would have to be enough.

"Well, you do seem to take care of her," she said, indicating the plastic. "I'm just going to say this. She's my best friend. And if you hurt her, in any way, I'll break you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Wade said with a grin. Secretly though, he was sure the blond could do some damage if she really wanted to, maybe not by her own manicured hands but likely by the hands of someone she talked into doing her dirty work.

"So I'm going to go and…" Gigi paused. "Well, I don't know what I'm going to go and do to tell the truth. Read a book and watch grass grow, I guess." Wade went back to work and was just picking up his tools to head over to his house when he heard a snap, a squeal, and an ear splitting shriek. He grinned. The mouse had been found.

* * *

><p>"We are so not in New York anymore," Gigi commented, standing beside Zoe as she surveyed the Bluebell community center which was draped in tacky New Year's Eve decorations. Zoe grinned. She was used to Bluebell's over the top celebrations by now and therefore not at all surprised by the sheer volume of streamers, banners and noisemakers being used to welcome a new year.<p>

"You saw the Christmas decorations before they came down yesterday. What were you expecting?" she asked Gigi. As if on cue, a country band started up, jumping right into a song that Zoe thought was about the devil going to Georgia. Several people were already on the dance floor, stopping their feet in a sort of dance that matched the rhythm of the song.

"Dear God. I'm in Deliverance," Gigi stated, putting her hands on her hips. Zoe laughed. She was enjoying watching Gigi's reactions to Bluebell. She wondered if she was nearly that bad when she first came to town and decided she probably had been – and still probably was on occasion.

"At least it's warm," Zoe offered.

"True," Gigi conceded. "People can at least see my dress seeing as I have absolutely no need for a coat." Zoe was sure people would have seen Gigi's revealing dress regardless of the weather. She had opted for the same black dress she'd worn the night she'd nearly given in to the heat wave but Gigi's sequined-covered number was sparkly enough to be mistaken for the Times Square ball.

"Dr. Hart! Not in New York?" Dash DeWitt lumbered up, looking as dapper as ever in a fedora and deep purple suit. Zoe stepped on Gigi's foot to keep the surely offensive statement forming on her lips at bay. She'd spent half of her visit tweeting about the fashion violations she'd found in Bluebell. A snarky comment and covert photo of Dash would be sent to her followers the very moment Gigi got a chance.

"Not this year," Zoe said politely. "Dash, this is my best friend, Gigi. Gigi, this is Dash DeWitt. He's the drama teacher over at the high school. He takes his students to New York every year to see several plays on Broadway."

"Only my advance drama students," Dash corrected, reaching for Gigi's hand. He kissed the back of it with a flourish. "They're the ones who know how to truly appreciate the beauty of Broadway."

"How nice," Gigi mustered, keeping the fakest of polite smiles on her face as she took back her hand and fought the urge to wipe it off on her dress. Zoe gave her a covert thumbs up for her good behavior. The band ended their fiddle-heavy song about the devil and promptly broke into "Sweet Home Alabama." There was a collective shout and people jumped to their feet and headed to the dance floor.

"Let's show some respect!" Dash said, sweeping his hat off his head and heading for the dance floor.

"I'm getting a drink," Gigi muttered, already heading for the makeshift bar. "And some hand sanitizer." Zoe laughed and crossed her arms, watching the people of Bluebell dance and sing along to the chorus.

"So how does it compare?" Wade asked, coming up behind her. Zoe turned and for a moment, forgot he'd just asked her a question. She'd only seen Wade dressed this nicely once before and that was Thanksgiving dinner. Wearing dark washed jeans, a crisp white button down and shiny black boots, she had never seen him look so good. "Doc?" he prompted, grinning. "See somethin' you like?" Zoe shook her head as if to bring herself to her senses.

"You look really nice," she told him, hoping she didn't sound as lame as she thought she did. He grinned.

"Well I knew you'd show up looking as good as you do right now, so I decided I'd step it up."

"Thanks," Zoe said. "For the compliment, I mean. And for the record, it doesn't compare. But in a good way."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not freezing, for one thing. You have no idea how nice that is. Plus I can look around the room and know pretty much everyone here, even if it's just recognizing their face – I'm not just one of millions and millions of faces. Spending New Year's Eve anywhere in New York City is electrifying, but this is great in its own way too." They traded a smile.

"Come dance with me," Wade said, reaching for her hand. Zoe let him take it, but didn't move. "Come on, girl!" he said, tugging her hand slightly. Zoe bit her lip, deciding if she wanted to step on the dance floor and risk making a fool of herself. She was a good dancer, but that was when club music was pounding through speakers. She didn't know if she could handle Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Come on," Wade said again, tugging on her hand a little harder. He winked at her, sensing her discomfort. Zoe took a deep breath.

"Lead the way," she said, allowing Wade to drag her onto the dance floor.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Zoe had fallen into a folding chair, pulled her shoes off, and was trying to catch her breath. She'd danced nearly the entire night, usually with Wade but Lavon, Dash, Tom, Gigi and Rose had all been her dance partner a time or two that night. She looked around the room, trying to find Wade. He'd disappeared on her nearly an hour ago when Tom had twirled her away from him as a new song had started. She laughed when she spied Gigi, dancing wildly with both Dash and Tom, her high heels in one hand, her drink in the other. She'd put her iPhone away and resigned herself to having a good time a couple hours earlier although Zoe knew the amount of alcohol she'd consumed was definitely encouraging her.<p>

"Taking a breather?" Lavon asked, dropping into a seat next to her.

"Yeah," Zoe confessed. "My legs are about to fall off."

"You look like you're having fun," he commented. Zoe smiled.

"I am," she admitted. "Where's Didi?"

"She's still dancing up a storm," Lavon said, nodding towards the dance floor where Didi was dancing with an older man Zoe recognized as the owner of hardware store. "You ain't the only one who needed to rest your dogs for a minute though."

"Have you seen Wade?" Zoe asked. "He disappeared like an hour ago."

"Oh he's around," Lavon answered with a knowing grin. "I expect he'll be turning up any time now." Zoe frowned.

"What…?"

"There he is now," Lavon cut her off and nodded at the door as Wade walked through it. He made straight for Zoe.

"Come with me," he said, holding his hand out.

"Where?" Zoe asked.

"Just trust me."

"But it's nearly midnight." She glanced at the digital clock counting down to the New Year. They were only 10 minutes away.

"I know," Wade said, his hand still offered for her to take. "Which is why you need to come now."

"Go with the boy, Big Z," Lavon said. "Trust me on this."

"You gotta listen to the Mayor," Wade said. The twinkle of excitement in his eye made her agree. She slipped her shoes back on, stood and took his hand. He led her outside.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Wade didn't answer as he led her down the street. It didn't take her long to figure out they were heading towards the Rammer Jammer. Wade led the way inside, but didn't bother to turn on a light.

"Watch your step," he said as he led her through the back, past his office and through a narrow door that led up a narrow set of stairs. He opened a door at the top of the stairs and gently pushed Zoe through it. They were on the roof of the Rammer Jammer.

"What are we…?" she asked, turning to face Wade. He was bent over, messing with something she couldn't see in the darkness. She gasped when a bright ball of light appeared overhead. "What…?" she breathed, looking at Wade. His smile was as bright as the lights as he walked towards her.

"Ain't the Times Square ball exactly, but I reckon it's pretty good for Bluebell," he told her, glancing up at the ball he'd constructed out of chicken wire and white Christmas lights. Zoe looked at him.

"You did this?" she asked.

"I figured if you won't gonna be in New York for New Year's, maybe I could try to bring a little of it here somehow," Wade said almost sheepishly as he tucked his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "You're gonna have to forgive me for not bringing Gigi along for it though." Zoe shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She wasn't the kind of girl who cried at the drop of a hat, but she couldn't stop herself right then.

"No one has ever done anything like this for me," she said, reaching up to wipe away a tear. It was overwhelming, that someone cared enough about her to go through the trouble Wade had. Even as a child, while she'd known she was loved, her parents had never gone out of their way to create something special, whether for no reason or as a holiday tradition. That wasn't the way things were in Bluebell though. That wasn't the way things were with Wade.

"Can't really say I've ever done anything like this for someone," Wade admitted. He noticed the tears in her eyes. "Hey, don't do that," he said, reaching for her. She went to him and felt his arms wrap around her as he brought her close to his chest.

"Thank you for doing this for me," she said, pulling away just enough to look up at him after several long moments had passed. "It's amazing."

"It's just a ball of wire with some lights on it," Wade said modestly. Zoe shook her head.

"It's not," she said simply. She knew Wade would understand.

The faint music from the community center floated up to them as they stood under the light. The lake was visible in the distance, a few lights from the even fewer homes twinkling against the night sky. The air was cool and Zoe was almost chilly but she couldn't imagine herself anywhere else at that moment.

"Me and Gigi had us a little talk yesterday," Wade said, his arms still around Zoe. She looked suspicious.

"About what?"

"She wanted to make sure I won't leadin' you on.'"

"I'll kill her," Zoe announced. Wade shook his head.

"She cares about you," he said. "You'd do the same thing for her if the roles were reversed." A small, guilty smile played at Zoe's lips. "I assured her I was not. But then I got to thinkin' and realized that maybe you thought I might be." Zoe looked up at him, her hands resting on his arms.

"I was going to give you another week or so," she confessed. "Then it might have come up." Wade chuckled.

"What are you doin' Saturday?" he asked.

"I'm not even on call," Zoe said by way of an answer.

"Good. I'll be pickin' you up at 3:00 for our date," Wade told her. It was still a week away, but he needed some daylight and with Zoe's schedule at the clinic, that wouldn't happen during the week.

"So you're telling me I'm going on a date with you?" Zoe teased. "I thought you Southerners were gentlemen."

"We are," Wade confirmed. "But sometimes a girl comes along that knows how to push all our buttons and you just have to take matters into your own hands." He pulled her closer.

"Good thing I'd have said yes then, huh?" Zoe replied. The music floating back to them stopped. The lead singer was saying something, but his voice was too far away for them to make out the words.

"I reckon it is," Wade replied with a grin, leaning towards her. Zoe pulled him closer. They crowd gathered in the community center started counting backwards from 10. Zoe went up on her tiptoes, her lips nearly on Wade's. "Wait," Wade whispered, his arms tightening around her and pulling her even closer. Zoe caught on to what he was doing and closed her eyes, waiting.

"7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2…"

As the community center reached 1 and shouted greetings to the New Year, Wade closed the remaining distance between them and their lips met for a long, deep kiss.

"Happy New Year, Zoe," Wade whispered. Zoe barely had time to whisper it back before she was kissing him again.

* * *

><p><strong>Can anyone guess the movie I borrowed one of Dash's lines from? It's one of my favorite movies ever!<strong>

**Look at Wade, being all sweet and somewhat awkward. Next chapter, they go on their date! I've been waiting for this one. Since I'm so far behind in replying to your reviews, here's a little hint. Listen to Jason Aldean's "Country Boy's World." That'll give you a really good idea of how their date's going to go!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	15. Country Boy's World

**It's finally, finally date time! I consider this 'Part 1' of this story. So far, it's been leading here. Now, it'll take on another direction. :) **

**I think I finally got back to most of you at least once who have been so wonderful as to leave reviews. I'm always just so blown away by how many people read this story and favorite it, put it on alerts... You're just wonderful. :) **

**Jason Aldean's "Country Boy's World" inspired this update.  
><strong>

**THINGS I OWN: A new found obsession with Temple Run. You just don't know how bad I have it... THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>"You realize you have to pick all of this up, right?" Rose asked as she watched Zoe take one article of clothing after another out of her closet, hold it up, examine herself in the mirror, and then toss it aside, deeming it not appropriate for her date.<p>

"I'll worry about that later," Zoe said. She held up an olive green long sleeve dress she'd forgotten she owned, took one glimpse at herself, and discarded it. "This would be a lot easier if Wade would give me something to work with. What does 'just wear what you usually wear' even mean, anyway?"

"I'm gonna guess it means wear what you wear on any other day," Rose said with a shrug. Zoe glared at her for a moment before turning back to her closet.

"Do you have any idea where he's taking me?" she asked Rose. "Any at all?"

"Like Wade is gonna ask a teenage girl for help," Rose retorted. She stood and started going through the growing pile of clothes on Zoe's bedroom floor. "Wear these," she said, passing Zoe a pair of dark skinny jeans. "And this top. Pair it with that orange scarf you bought while you were in New York and wear those really amazing brown riding boots you had on the other day." Zoe surveyed the outfit Rose had picked out.

"You know, that's not half bad," she said. Then a thought struck her. "But what if we're going somewhere where I need to be a little more dressed up than that? Like, somewhere I should wear a dress to? I'd rather be overdressed than underdressed. I think, anyway." Rose sighed.

"Zoe, just trust me. Wear this." Zoe eyed her suspiciously.

"You do know where he's taking me," she accused.

"No…"

"Rose…"

"Maybe I do know something," Rose confessed. "But I also promised, crossed my heart, and swore to die that I would not tell you should you ask. But you can rest assured that what I picked out is appropriate first date with Wade attire."

"Not even a hint?" Zoe asked. Rose shook her head and checked her watch.

"Not even a hint," she confirmed. "I've got to get going. I'm babysitting the Saunders kids tonight."

"Thanks for your help," Zoe told her, hugging her goodbye. "Or lack thereof."

"Please, you're worrying about nothing. Wade's all kinds of crazy about you. And he's put a lot of thought into this date. You'll have a blast," Rose told her, hugging her back. "And you know, you really need to learn to drive. Then you could drive me home instead of my having to walk."

"I'm working on it," Zoe replied. Rose gave her a look. "I'm going to start working on it," Zoe amended. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Bye, Zoe," she said. She left, humming a tune on her way out. Zoe looked around the room and sighed. It would take her twice as long to put everything away as it did to pull it all out. She went to work, fetching hangers and reorganizing her closet as she went.

She was nervous. She hadn't been out on a date in more than six years. Her ex-boyfriend had started off as a hookup after a late night study session and it turned into six years of more or less the same. They didn't have dinner dates or romantic evenings. They had cafeteria food and slept together between seeing patients, usually in one of the on call rooms. It didn't matter that this was Wade, the man she'd become so familiar with in the last few months. She was terrified.

She didn't know how to date. She didn't know how to hold a conversation or how to be charming or any of that other dating crap she was apparently supposed to know. Out of desperation, she had spent a lot of the week Googling, reading old Cosmos, and asking Addie for tips. The best Addie could do was offer her a 'just be yourself' and Zoe had deemed that not good enough. She'd nearly given in and asked Lemon Breeland for advice when she'd dropped by the clinic to see her father, but had come to her senses just in time.

She wanted their date to go well. Usually, when a couple went on a first date, they'd recently met and had decided they liked one another enough to share a meal or maybe some laughs and see what happened from there. But she and Wade were different. They'd already had their first kiss, had even shared a bed on a couple of occasions. It was almost like they were already in a relationship and were just going on a date as a prerequisite.

It didn't help that she had no idea where he was taking her, what they were doing. She'd tried to get it out of him all week, had even tried prying it out of Lavon who had claimed Mayor-Resident confidentiality, something she was sure he'd made up, to get out of giving her any hints. She was sure that even the knowledge of where they were going would have given her some peace.

Her bedroom relatively back to normal, she changed into pajamas and slipped under the covers. It was a little early for her to be turning in, but she figured if nothing else, she'd be well-rested for the next night when she would inevitably lay awake and fret over her and Wade's date the following day. More tired than she thought, she drifted off to sleep thinking through the handful of restaurants in Bluebell to see if there was a reason to suspect any of them as the likely sight of their first date.

* * *

><p>"In the name of all things holy, would you please sit down?" Addie snapped, putting her magazine down and glaring at Zoe. "The sound of your high heels pacing back and forth on this hardwood floor is like nails on a chalkboard."<p>

"I'm sorry," Zoe said, coming to stand at Addie's counter. "I'm just… I'm waiting for 5:00," she said.

"Any reason in particular?"

"Not really. It'll just be nice to go home and pace without being interrupted." She was growing more anxious as the clock ticked down. It had been a slow day at the clinic for both Brick and herself and he had beaten her to leaving early, sticking her to be the one who remained in the office until the doors locked for the night in case anyone showed up. She'd spent most of the afternoon getting more and more anxious about her date the next day, so much so that even Brick had complained that she was more annoying than usual.

"You're not still fretting over your date with Wade, are you?" Addie asked suspiciously.

"It's my first date in six years. I get to be nervous," Zoe informed her. "I have no idea where he's taking me. Rose helped me pick my outfit out yesterday, but now I'm second guessing it and I don't have time to go buy anything new seeing as I'd have to catch a bus to Mobile and it's already Friday evening. And did you know that Rose knows where Wade is taking me and won't tell me? What kind of friend is she? A bad one, that's one kind.

Addie sighed and closed her magazine. She stood and walked around the counter. "Come on, sit down," she said, steering Zoe into one of the waiting room chairs. She sat down across from her. "Now why, Zoe, are you so nervous about being alone with that boy? Ain't like you've never been alone with him before."

"I've never been on a date with him before," Zoe pointed out. "Or anyone else. In six years!" They were all missing the point.

"Dr. Hart, I know there is more to it than that." Zoe sighed.

"I just want it to go well," she admitted, wishing Gigi was around for her to talk to. She'd called her friend a dozen times in just the last two days, but she was coordinating a big party later that night and not able to talk Zoe off her latest ledge as she supervised set up. "Wade… He's been such a great friend, one of the only friends I have here. I don't want to mess that up."

"Wade has never thought of you as a friend," Addie informed her. "At first, you were fresh meat. But sometime between the gumbo cook off and the heat wave, he started looking at you different. That boy is so crazy about you it should be certifiable. You can't see it because you're in it, but it's the talk of the town, Wade Kinsella actually falling for a girl. Like I told you the other day, all you have to do is just be you – the same thing you've been doing since you wound up on Bluebell's doorstep fresh from the big city."

"But what if I mess it up?" Zoe asked, voicing her fears. "What if I do something or I say something and Wade ends up hating me?" There. She'd said it. She'd confessed her biggest fear about dating Wade.

"I think that'll be hard for you to do," Addie said. "If Wade ain't run for the hills by now, it's going to take a lot more than one bad date to get him to stop chasing after you." Zoe smiled, thinking Addie was right. She'd been downright rude to Wade more than once and showed herself to be incompetent at small town living on a regular basis and yet he was still there, asking her to go on a date with him and building makeshift New Year's Eve balls for her. He'd even seen her first thing in the morning with no makeup on and wearing her oldest sweats. If that didn't scare him off, Zoe didn't know what it would take.

"You're right," she said, feeling her confidence renew. "I can do this. It's Wade. Wade and I talk all the time. We're together all the time. I can totally do this." Addie laughed and shook her head. Zoe might have been a fast talking New Yorker who put on a tough front, but at the end of the day, she had her insecurities just like the next person.

* * *

><p>"You gonna eat that cereal or just push it around your bowl until it dissolves in your milk?" Lavon asked, watching Wade play with his breakfast. Wade looked up at him.<p>

"Just thinkin,'" he said.

"About?"

"Nothin.'"

"Zoe Hart," Lavon countered. Wade sighed.

"It's got to go right, Lavon," he confessed. He'd been playing it cool all week, especially when Zoe was around, but inside, he'd been panicked since he woke up New Year's Day and remembered Zoe had agreed to a date. "This whole datin' thing? I ain't no good at it. I've got about six more hours to figure out how to be good at it."

"Won't you the one giving me dating advice when I was trying to ask out Didi?" Lavon reminded him.

"Yeah. And your first date didn't go so well, did it?"

"But that was Lemon's fault, not yours."

"Still. My track record ain't good." Lavon shook his head.

"Boy, you done dated just about every girl in this town and you're sitting there telling me you ain't no good at dating?"

"No, see, I ain't dated every girl in town. I've taken most of 'em out to dinner or drinks then brought 'em back to my place and, well, you can figure out what happened next. I ain't went on a date with a girl I care about since high school and seein' as that was high school, I reckon it don't really count."

"You have a point," Lavon admitted, even as he recalled Wade's high school girlfriend and how very different Zoe was from her. "But this is Zoe. If you ain't working, you're with her. Just refrain from suggesting anything provocative and y'all will be just fine." Wade sighed.

"I just want it to go well," he said again. "I've put a lot of thought into it. I know she ain't been out on a date in a while and I just want her to have fun and maybe, if I'm lucky, agree to go out with me again." Lavon chuckled.

"You've got it so bad," he stated, standing to fix himself another cup of coffee.

"I know," Wade said. He gave up eating his cereal and dumped it down the garbage disposal. "I'm gonna go see if I can't waste a few hours fishin.' Might calm my nerves."

"Let me know how it goes," Lavon said. "The date, not the fishing." Wade nodded and left through the kitchen door. "He's got it so bad," Lavon said to the empty room.

* * *

><p>Somehow, some way, she was having the best hair day she'd had in a while. The outfit Rose had suggested turned out to be perfect for the weather, the high in the low 50s, sunny and clear. Her talk with Addie the day before had managed to calm her down. She'd managed a good night's sleep despite her prediction that she'd lay awake and had spent the day reading a book and taking a long walk around Bluebell to occupy her time until it was time to start getting ready. She had just capped her lip gloss when she heard a light tap on the door.<p>

"You knock now?" she said, opening the door for Wade to come inside. He was wearing his outfit from Thanksgiving, the dark jeans, boots, and blue button down.

"It's not polite to just barge into your date's house," he told her with a grin. He took in her appearance. "You look amazing," he said, watching the faint shade of pink colored her cheeks as she smiled.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "You don't look so bad yourself." Wade nodded his appreciation.

"You ready?" he asked. Zoe nodded. He reached for her hand. "Let's go then," he said, leading her outside and shutting the door behind her. His nerves subsided as he felt her fingers link with his. He could do this. Zoe took in the old plantation truck parked by her house.

"Where's your car?" she asked.

"Well, Doc, I hope you don't mind, but the truck is gonna to have to be your carriage. It's more appropriate than my car is for today's adventures," Wade answered.

"Where, exactly, are we going?" Zoe asked, trying to think of a place around Bluebell where the beat up old work truck was more appropriate than Wade's well-cared for muscle car. She lifted herself into the truck once Wade opened the door.

"You'll see," he answered.

"That's all I get?" Wade's answer was to shut her door, walk around the truck, and slide behind the wheel. "You're seriously not going to tell me where we're going?" she pressed.

"Zoe, you ever just go with it?" Wade asked, guiding the truck towards the main road.

"Go with what?" Wade grinned, his question answered, but he decided to humor her.

"You ever just roll with it? Just go with the flow, take whatever comes along? Or do you always have to know exactly what you're gonna do next?"

"I can be spontaneous," Zoe stated.

"Oh yeah?" Wade asked. It was clear he didn't believe her. "What was the last spontaneous thing you did?"

"Move to Bluebell," Zoe answered easily. "If leaving New York City for here isn't spontaneous, I don't know what is."

"Okay. I'll give you that. Desperate times, desperate measures. But seriously, when is the last time you were sittin' around and decided to go do somethin' crazy?" Zoe looked at Wade.

"Are we about to do something crazy?" she asked. "Because I told you, I don't do crazy." She was completely serious. Wade chuckled.

"The only thing crazy about what we're about to do is that a guy like me somehow ended up with a girl like you ridin' shotgun," he said. Zoe smiled. "Just sit over there and take in the scenery. And trust me." Zoe decided to do just that, knowing there was no way Wade was going to crack.

They made small talk as the scenery passing by her window quickly grew wilder, taking her outside of the carefully manicured streets around the plantation and into Bluebell's even more rural parts. She'd only been this far outside the heart of Bluebell once and then it was at night, Lavon driving her to deliver a baby. Wade signaled although it wasn't necessary as they hadn't met a car one since leaving the planation and turned off the road onto a dirt road that was so overgrown Zoe wouldn't have known it was there if she were just driving past.

"Are you taking me somewhere to kill me?" she asked as tree limbs passed dangerously close to the old truck on the narrow road. "Because this looks like it would be a good place to hide a body." Wade looked over at her and grinned, obviously amused.

"We're just about there, Doc," he answered. The bumpy road opened up just slightly and the truck pulled to a stop in front of an old, rusty gate. "Sit tight," he told Zoe. "Be right back." He left the truck idling and pulled a key ring out of his pocket. He worked the rusted lock and with some effort, pried it open and pushed the gate free from the weeds. He got back in the truck and continued driving.

"Okay, Wade, I know I'm supposed to trust you, but the further we go into the woods, the more I'm starting to think that's a bad idea," Zoe said, just as the woods opened up into a field that stretched out further than she could see.

"We're here," Wade said, still driving. Zoe raised her eyebrows. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't a field that was even more in the middle of nowhere than Bluebell itself. Wade laughed at her expression. When he was a good distance from the wood line, he stopped the truck.

"So where are we, exactly?" Zoe asked, looking around for a sign post or landmark that might give her an idea of where they were.

"This is part of my daddy's place," Wade answered as he exited the truck. He walked around the hood and opened Zoe's door. "Slide over," he told her. Zoe gave him a confused look, but slid over into the middle of the old truck's bench seat. Wade climbed in. "All the way over," he instructed.

"Behind the steering wheel?" Zoe asked. Wade nodded and Zoe moved over, Wade taking her spot in the middle. "And?"

"And, Zoe Hart, I'm gonna teach you how to drive," Wade answered. He chuckled at the astonished look on her face.

"You're going to try to teach me how to drive?" she repeated. Wade nodded.

"You need to learn," he told her. "And if you can learn on this 'ol thing, you can drive anything."

"But… I don't…"

"No protestin,'" Wade cut her off. "Ain't nothin' out here you can hit so long as you keep it away from the trees and ain't much you can do to hurt this old Ford. I'll have you drivin' yourself around Bluebell in no time." Zoe had her doubts, but she put her hands on the wheel.

"So what do I do?" she asked.

"First, you start the truck," Wade answered.

"Smart ass," Zoe mumbled. She turned the key. Nothing happened. She tried again, trying to force it to turn further than it would. "It's broke or something," she announced. Wade was looking at her in disbelief.

"You really don't have a clue about drivin,' do you?"

"I told you, I never needed to drive in New York." Wade shook his head. He'd thought for sure that Zoe had at least been behind the wheel of a car before. This was going to take some work.

"Okay. Here's what you do. Put your left foot on the clutch and your right foot on the brake," he instructed. Zoe looked in the floorboard and saw three pedals. She looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "The one all the way to left is the clutch. The one in the middle is the brake," he said patiently. Zoe did as told. "Now turn the key." The engine roared to life. And promptly shut off.

"What happened?" Zoe asked.

"You took your foot off the clutch," Wade answered. "Try it again, but keep the clutch pressed in." Zoe pushed in the clutch and started the old truck.

"Okay. Truck is on. What's next?"

"Put it in neutral." Wade walked her through how to move the gear shift into neutral. "Now listen. You're gonna ease up off the clutch real slow while giving it just a little gas with your other foot. You'll feel it sort of catch and then we'll start movin.' You can ease off the clutch then."

"Clutch, gas, push in, push down…," Zoe mumbled as she went through the motions. The truck started moving forward, taking her by surprise. She gasped and jumped, her foot slipping of the clutch in the process. The truck stalled out. Wade had expected that.

"Just start it back up and try again," Wade said.

Nearly an hour later, Zoe was crawling through the field, a death grip on the steering wheel as she sat stiff as a board peering out of the windshield. It had taken the better part of 30 minutes for her to get the hang of starting the truck and getting it into motion. Once she'd mastered what should have been a simple step in the process, they'd made a few laps around the sprawling field.

"Go ahead and give it some gas," Wade told her. His arm was draped across the seat behind her and he had slid so close their legs were touching so he could grab the wheel if he needed to. Or at least that was the guise he was operating under.

"No, no gas," Zoe replied, a trill of nervousness in her voice. "This is good. Slow is good. Really, really good."

"You gotta learn to shift gears, Doc. Give it some gas." Zoe bit her lip, but pushed down on the gas. "Hear that?" Zoe nodded, all of concentration on the trees up ahead growing steadily closer. "That means it's time to shift up to the next gear. Push down on the clutch…" The truck stalled.

"Not again!" Zoe shrieked. Every time she thought she had the hang of it, Wade added some detail or next step and she felt like she went back to square one.

"It's okay," Wade reassured her. "What do you say we take a break?" Zoe nodded. She could use a break. They got out of the truck and Wade took her hand. They started walking towards the tree line. Wade's nerves returned full force as he started worrying about whether Zoe was having a good time.

"You said this was your dad's place?" Zoe asked, remembering the comment he'd made earlier.

"Yeah, this is his," Wade confirmed. "I guess technically it's mine and Meredith's, but as long as he's alive and drinkin' it's his."

"It's beautiful," Zoe said, finally taking the time to appreciate the way the land spread out before her as the sun started its descent from the sky into bands of darkening pink and orange. "Was he a farmer?"

"Cotton and peanuts mostly," Wade confirmed. "A little corn and some soy beans some years. But he let it go after Momma died, started workin' the shrimp boats. I doubt this land could grow much more than weeds these days." They reached the woods and Zoe was surprised to see a creek flowing just a couple hundred yards in. Wade led her towards a cluster of rocks and helped her climb up before following her.

"So be honest. How bad of a driver am I?" Zoe asked.

"You're pretty awful," Wade told her. Zoe scoffed. "You asked," he reminded her.

"You know, Lavon's Navigator doesn't have one of those stick things in the floor," she said, wondering what the difference was.

"That's 'cause it's an automatic. You pretty much crank it up and drive." Zoe looked at him.

"Why can't I learn to drive on that?" she asked. It sounded so much easier than shifting gears and pushing down clutches while simultaneously trying to keep the truck on and away from anything she could hit.

"Like Lavon's gonna let you behind the wheel of that thing," Wade said. "'Sides, it's best if you learn on a stick – makes drivin' an automatic a lot easier."

"For most people," Zoe commented. Wade put an arm around her and pulled her close. She surprised him by slipping between his legs and leaning back against his chest. He encircled her with his arms and held her close.

"You'll get it," he told her. He pointed to something on the opposite river bank. "See that?" he asked. Zoe looked and saw the remains of what looked like it used to be a tree house. "Me and George Tucker spent a whole summer buildin' that thing when we was about ten. Hauled all the materials out here on our bikes with wagons attached to 'em. Probably took us half the summer just to do that. But we had high times out here once we got it done, sittin' up there, shootin' BB guns, fightin' off zombies, hidin' from our parents…"

"It's kind of sad that you two aren't as close as you used to be," Zoe commented, thinking of how she and Gigi had known each other just as long as Wade and George had known one another and how despite their ups and downs and the miles between them, had managed to remain close. "Why did you grow apart?"

"Life," Wade answered. Zoe had noticed that was his answer to a lot of things. "We graduated high school, he went off to college, I stayed here. I reckon I still count him as a good friend, but we ain't gonna be havin' no sleepovers any time soon." Zoe smiled and snuggled deeper into his embrace. They lapsed into silence for several long minutes, both soaking in the moment as the creek's babbling provided their soundtrack.

"Thank you," Zoe told him, breaking the silence as she turned her head to look up at him. He furrowed his brow.

"For what?" he asked. Their date hadn't really even started yet.

"This," Zoe answered. "Everything." Wade was still confused. "You're always there, helping me, protecting me, doing little things for me that I either don't notice or you keep to yourself. I can't believe it's taken me this long to say thank you." Wade hugged her to him. He was certain his heart skipped a beat, just because of her proximity though her words didn't hurt.

"I care about you," he answered. "I ain't gonna let you show up at a cookoff with no gumbo or poke at a fuse box with a stick. I certainly ain't gonna let some drug dealer with a chip on his shoulder hurt you." Zoe smiled at him and leaned up to kiss his cheek. It never failed to take her by surprise, just how simple Wade could make things. He cared about so he did things like make her a pot of gumbo or put plastic over her windows to show it. It was so different than anything she'd experienced.

"You know, this is shaping up to be the best first date I've ever been on," Zoe said.

"Well, it ain't close to over," he said. He stood and jumped down from the rock then helped Zoe down.

"What are we doing now?" she asked.

"Did you really think I won't gonna feed you?" Wade asked. There was a twinkle in his eye and Zoe knew the driving lesson was just a precursor to their real date. Wade kept her hand in his as they made their way back to the truck.

"You should probably drive," Zoe said when they reached the old Ford. Wade opened the passenger door for her.

"Probably a good idea," he agreed.

* * *

><p>They were at the lake. She'd heard plenty about the lake, knew it was the place to hangout for Bluebell's teenage population, but she hadn't had the chance to experience it herself yet, both because she didn't have a reason to head out there and because of the whole inability to drive thing.<p>

It was beautiful. The water stretched out in all directions and likely joined up with the Gulf at its end. A handful of homes dotted the banks and boats bobbed along the docks of a small marina. Some of the boats looked to be commercial fishing boats, confirming Zoe's suspicions that the lake was really a tributary to the Gulf. There was a small bath house and sandy beach which Zoe imagined was full of teenagers in the warmest months. But, she couldn't help but notice, there didn't seem to be a restaurant.

"You're tryin' hard to figure out where we're eatin,' ain't you?" Wade asked as he opened her door. Zoe wondered if she'd ever have to open a door again in his presence.

"Call it more of a curious pondering," Zoe answered. Wade laughed and offered Zoe his arm.

"I thought I'd show you a little of what Bluebell truly has to offer," he stated. He led her down a set of stairs and along a planked sidewalk that wrapped around the lake. They were alone except for two people walking towards them from the opposite direction.

"The sunset is incredible," Zoe said, taking in the way the oranges and pinks reflected off the water as the sun slowly disappeared from view. It was like a watercolor painting. She had never seen anything like it in New York.

"That's one of the best shows Bluebell has to offer," Wade told her. He had purposefully planned to take her to the lake at sunset, but nature was putting on a far better show than he'd hoped for. He wasn't the praying type, but he'd have to thank the man upstairs later that night for both the sunset and for Zoe agreeing to go out with him. The people walking in their direction grew steadily closer. Zoe frowned when she recognized them.

"That's Rose and Shelly," she said. "What are they doing here?" Wade grinned at her.

"You didn't think I could pull this off all by myself, did you?" Shelly and Rose passed them, both giggling. Shelly gave them an animated wink and Rose caught Zoe's eye and gave her a huge smile. Wade nodded at the two in thanks and they disappeared down the sidewalk, leaving Zoe and Wade alone.

"That little liar," Zoe said, looking over her shoulder at Rose's retreating form. "She knew exactly where you were taking me and wouldn't breathe a word."

"Let's just say I had to have a man to man talk with Fredrick Dean on the merits of Rose versus Magnolia Breeland in exchange for her silence," Wade answered. Zoe laughed, wishing she could have been a fly on the wall for that conversation. They came to a bend in the path and Wade stopped. "Close your eyes," he said. Zoe looked wary. "Zoe, close your eyes," he said again. Zoe nodded and let her eye lids fall shut. She felt Wade take her hand once more. "Keep 'em closed," he advised, leading her down the path once more. Zoe did as she was told, her remaining senses heightened as she listened to the sound of their footsteps echoing off the planks and the sound of water lapping at the shore nearby. Soon, Wade stopped them. Zoe heard him take a deep breath.

"Okay," he said. "Open your eyes."

Zoe blinked her eyes open and gasped, her hand covering her mouth. They were standing at the end of one of the docks, a table for two set up, complete with candles and two covered plates, a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket. White Christmas lights had been strung up around the table to give them a soft glow as night fell.

"Wow," was all Zoe could muster. "You did all of this?"

"With a little help," Wade said, always modest. "I just… Well, I know you said you ain't been on a date in a while and I just… I wanted to make it special for you." He fell over his words, letting his nerves show for the first time since he'd picked her up. Zoe nodded.

"Special is a word," she said, looking around again. "This is amazing." She turned to Wade and put her arms around his neck. "Come here," she said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. Wade was all too happy to oblige. He kissed her one more time before he let her go.

"Have a seat," he said, pulling out her chair. Wade sat down across from her. "Hope you're hungry," he said, taking the cover off her plate. It was a full southern meal – pulled pork barbecue, creamy macaroni and cheese, seasoned green beans and cornbread. Zoe's mouth watered just looking at it.

"This looks incredible," she said. Wade uncovered his own plate then poured them each a glass of wine. "Who cooked everything?"

"The barbecue's mine," he said. "Smoked it overnight. Shelly took care of everything else but it's my momma's recipes – same ones we use at the Rammer Jammer." Zoe speared the barbecue with her fork and put it in her mouth. She caught herself before she moaned out loud.

"This is delicious," she confirmed. Wade smiled at her.

"Glad you like it," he said before digging into his own meal.

Zoe knew she was done for. As she'd put it to Gigi, she'd been stumbling over her heels for Wade. Now, there was no denying that she was head over heels. He'd pulled out all the stops to impress her. She could hardly believe someone really cared enough about _her_ to go through so much trouble. She wasn't good at this relationship thing, but she was willing to give it a shot if Wade was. He was worth it.

The food long gone, including slices of chocolate cake from Agnes' Bakery, Zoe laughed as Wade finished telling her another one of his more obnoxious high school stories involving several of his friends and a practical joke on the cheerleading squad that had left them with blue hair just before Homecoming. She stood and wandered to the rail, looking out over the water, her smile seemingly permanent on her face. She heard Wade's chair scrape and then his footsteps. Soon, his arms wrapped around her.

"Thank you for agreeing to this," he said, his lips near her ear.

"For agreeing to what?" Zoe asked, turning so she was facing Wade, pinned between him and the railing.

"To go out with me," Wade answered. "I know I ain't your usual cup of tea."

"The thing is, I think you might be just the exact cup of tea I've been looking for," Zoe answered. It was one of the most truthful statements she'd ever made. Wade rested his head against her forehead.

"Does this mean I get a second date?" he asked. Zoe laughed. She could hear the hope in his voice.

"Yeah, I _reckon_ it does." Wade chuckled at her attempt to use a southern phrase. Zoe shivered a little, the night hair much cooler than the warmer daytime temperatures. Wade noticed.

"It's getting' cold out," he said. "Let's head back to the truck." Zoe didn't want the night to end but she couldn't deny that she was getting cold. Wade let her go and blew out the candles which had melted down to mere stubs over the time they'd sat at their table.

"Don't we need to clean some of this up or something?" Zoe asked.

"That second date? It won't happen this week. I'm covering all of Shelly's shifts as a return favor," Wade answered. Zoe grinned.

"So Rose, Shelly… Who else did you bribe to make this night happen?" Zoe slipped her hand around his elbow as they made their way back up the sidewalk.

"Lavon," Wade admitted. "But more so that he wouldn't tell you anything about our date. I'm fixin' him and Didi dinner Wednesday night." Zoe laughed. They reached the truck and Wade opened the door for Zoe again. But instead of getting in, she turned to Wade and hugged him.

"Tonight – today – has been amazing," she told him. "Thank you for doing all of this for me."

"I'd do anything for you, Zoe," Wade muttered before leaning in to kiss her. Once she was safely inside the truck, Wade walked around to the driver's side. He grinned as he absentmindedly fingered his necklace. He was, hands down, the luckiest guy in Alabama.

* * *

><p><strong>Like Jason Aldean's song, I wanted Zoe to sort of experience Bluebell like Wade or Lavon or George or even Lemon know it. Wade was showing her what the town has to offer. And so far, Zoe likes it. :)<strong> **I hope you liked it too! **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	16. Scare Me

**I am SO glad so many of you loved the first date last chapter. I was nervous since there was so much build up to it. I haven't had five seconds to respond to your reviews, but please know I read each and everyone of them and appreciate them all so much! I'll reply as soon as possible, promise! **

**This chapter is based on one of my favorite Kenny Chesney songs, "You Scare Me." I think it's pretty appropriate. **

**THINGS I OWN: Contact Lenses! I can see without my glasses! THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>Zoe groaned and reached for the alarm clock. Instead of landing on the offending source of noise, her hand landed on Wade who was already moving to hit the snooze button.<p>

"Turn it off," she mumbled. Moments later, the sound stopped. Wade rolled over and wrapped his arm around Zoe.

"Mornin,'" he mumbled.

"Hmm," Zoe replied. He chuckled, his eyes closed, face buried in the hair spread across her pillow. "How'd I end up here last night?" she asked.

"You fell asleep watchin' the third movie," he reminded her. "You looked so peaceful sleepin' that I didn't have the heart to wake you up and send you back across the yard."

"I don't mind," Zoe said, closing her eyes to drift back off to sleep.

"Me neither," Wade said. He kissed her shoulder then begrudgingly pulled himself out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Zoe asked, her eyes closed.

"I'm openin' the Rammer Jammer," he reminded her, buttoning his jeans. "Some people don't eat their breakfast in the Mayor's kitchen every mornin.'"

"But it's so early," Zoe moaned, blinking her eyes back open and rolling over so she could see him. "And it's Saturday." Wade pulled a shirt on and sat down on the edge of the bed to pull on his boots.

"You can sleep as long as you want," Wade said, slightly amused.

"I will," Zoe promised. Wade laughed and laid down beside her, looking at the clock to calculate how many more minutes he could squeeze out before he had to leave. His answer was not many. He smoothed his hand over Zoe's hair.

"We still on for tonight?" he asked. Zoe nodded.

"Mobile, a move in a real theater and a restaurant that doesn't have grits on the menu? I've been looking forward to this all week." Wade chuckled.

"I've really got to go," he said. Zoe could hear the longing in his voice. He kissed her quickly then sat up. With a groan, Zoe pushed herself into a sitting position as Wade stood to leave. "Stay put," he told her. "Sleep as long as you want."

"Oh I plan to," Zoe confirmed. "I just thought I'd kiss you goodbye properly." With that, she pulled him back to her and gave him a long, slow kiss that he was sure to remember hours later. He pulled away, grinned at her, then kissed her one more time. "See you this evening," she told him.

"See you this evenin,'" he repeated. He turned for one last look at her before he walked out the door. She had already pulled the covers over her head and was undoubtedly already halfway back to sleep.

He used the time it took him to drive to the Rammer Jammer to think. It had been two weeks since their first official date. He'd taken her out a couple more times and she had surprised him with dinner a few evenings ago. It had been the best Chinese takeout he'd ever eaten, sitting on her porch and watching the soft rain fall in the abnormally warm, even for Alabama, winter air. And those were just their dates. They were still eating meals together at Lavon's. Zoe was still stopping by the Rammer Jammer for lunch or an after work drink. And he was still making any excuse he could come up with to drop in on her, say hello. She had taken to doing the same which is how she'd ended up on his couch watching movies the night before.

He didn't know what it all meant. He knew what he wanted it to mean. He wanted it to mean that Zoe was his girlfriend and that he could introduce her as such. He wanted the relationship he swore he'd never find himself involved in. But he didn't know if she wanted it too. He thought she did, but his track record with women was null and void and he could be reading things all wrong.

All he had to do was talk to her about it. That's what most people did. They said 'Hey, do you want to be my girlfriend?' and then the girl said yes or no and the pair went from there. But he was bad at talking about serious things and talking about their relationship meant a couple of things. It meant they would define whatever they were which had the potential to change everything. It also meant that, sooner or later, they would have to talk about when Zoe's time in Bluebell was up. That was something he didn't like to think about.

He parked in his usual spot and found the Rammer Jammer already unlocked, his line cook, Jim, inside warming up the grill. He said a quick hello then went through the motions of getting the Rammer Jammer ready for the breakfast crowd, putting on several pots of coffee and raising the blinds. By the time he unlocked the front door to let in Rick Davenport and Martin Eisenhower who were always waiting by the door on Saturday mornings to talk sports over coffee and a hot breakfast, bacon was sizzling on the grill and the local news was replaying highlights of the high school's basketball game from the night before.

"Woo, those boys got their hind ends kicked!" Martin stated as he removed his hat and took a seat near one of the big screen TVs.

"Yes sir," Wade agreed. "Old man Jacobs is gonna have to pull that team together if he wants to keep his job."

"You dern right," Rick agreed. "He lost all but 7 games last year."

"7? I thought it was 5?" Martin said.

"No, no, it was definitely 7. The beat Red Hill Academy in overtime, remember?"

Wade left them to argue and went to fix himself a cup of coffee. He slipped into his office for a couple hours to catch up on paperwork and by 8:00, knew the place would be busy enough to use his assistance. He was topping off Mr. and Mrs. Palmer's coffee when George walked in and took a seat at the bar. Wade made his way over to him, picking up a coffee mug in route. He sat it down in front of George and poured him a mug.

"What'll it be this mornin'?" Wade asked.

"Biscuits and gravy but I already shouted my order back to Jim," George answered. He poured some milk into his coffee. "I actually stopped by to ask you something."

"Need me to talk you out of marryin' Lemon?" Wade asked. "Hope you got all day, 'cause that's 'bout how long I'm gonna need to give you my list of well-thought out reasons. But we'll have to wrap it up by 4:00. Got a date with Zoe tonight and I'll need to freshen up a bit before I pick her up." George shook his head.

"No, I don't need you to talk me out of marrying Lemon," he said.

"The offer's on the table," Wade said with a good natured shrug. George knew he was only kidding. He liked to rib the lawyer about being tied to Lemon, but the two were about as well-matched for one another as they could be. Besides, Lemon wasn't all that awful when she let herself take a break from her high horse.

"What I needed to ask you is, well, I was kind of hoping you'd be my best man at the wedding in June," George said. Wade looked at him.

"Me?" he asked, pointing to himself. The role of best man usually went to the groom's closest friend and Wade was sure he wasn't George's. Although, he realized, he didn't really know of many other friends George had outside of their high school buddies they still had a beer with on occasion.

"Yeah, I mean, you're my oldest friend and all. I know we've kind of had our own lives going on, but I still consider you one of my best friends. It'd mean a lot if you stood up next to me when I marry Lemon." Wade grinned.

"I'd be honored to," he said seriously. He offered his hand and the two men shook.

"Thanks," George said, looking relieved. "That was harder than asking Lemon to marry me." Wade chuckled. Then he raised an eyebrow.

"Speaking of Miss High Maintenance, how much does the Best Man have to deal with her?" he asked.

"Just don't complain about the tux, lie convincingly about the bachelor party, and show up to the rehearsal dinner and ceremony on time," George advised. "You do those things, you'll save yourself, me, and everybody within a five mile radius a lot of trouble."

"I reckon I can handle that," Wade said. The cook brought George his plate personally and George dug in.

"This is probably one of my favorite dishes y'all have," he said between mouthfuls.

"That gravy's hard to beat," Wade agreed. He excused himself to go help the waitress out by topping off coffee around the mostly full bar. When he made his way back around to George, he'd nearly cleared his plate and had ordered a side of bacon. "Better watch that waistline," Wade said seriously. "Don't want to risk not fittin' into you penguin suit."

"Things seem like they're getting serious between you and Zoe," George replied, opting to keep ignore Wade's comment.

"I reckon they're headin' that way." Wade picked up a rag and wiped off the counter a few seats down from George where a man had just left.

"So y'all haven't had the relationship talk yet?"

"Lemon put you up to this?" Wade countered.

"Surprisingly no although don't doubt for a minute that she's dying to know any and all details surrounding you and Zoe. I do know that your sister called her the other night to see if Lemon knew anything about the pair of you."

"It's a damn shame you don't lose your right to gossip about Bluebell citizens when you leave Bluebell," Wade commented. George nodded his head in agreement, he himself having been the gossip of choice a time or two when he'd both left for and returned from New York.

"Seriously though, is she your girlfriend or what?" George asked.

"I don't know," Wade admitted. George and Lavon were the only two people in Bluebell he could see himself discussing this with and seeing as George was the one getting married, he was likely the better choice. "We've been on several dates, spend at least some time together most every day. I'm tryin' to do this right so I guess I need to just talk to her about it, but, well, I need to grow a pair first, to be honest." George laughed.

"Just suck it up and ask her to be your girlfriend," he said. "And one more piece of advice? Be honest with her."

"Don't go there," Wade warned.

"I'm just saying that you need to be honest with her before it's too late," George said, holding his hands up in a sign of peace. "I know you think we'll sign some papers, pay some fees, and it'll all be dead and buried but stuff has a funny way of coming back to bite you in the ass. Especially around here." Wade opened his mouth to reply, but Lemon burst through the door, a woman on a mission.

"George! There you are! We're supposed to meet our wedding planner in 10 minutes! Come on, now!" George was left with no choice but to gulp down the last of his coffee and wrap up his remaining bacon in a napkin to go. "Good morning, Wade!" Lemon said in her fake singsong voice that told Wade that despite her rush, she wasn't going to let the chance to grill him pass her by. "I hear you're going to be George's Best Man. Assuming you said yes, of course."

"I am," Wade confirmed, already wondering how he'd been convinced to be a part of the production that was the Breeland-Tucker wedding. "Can hardly wait."

"Well I am just so excited!" Lemon continued. "You and George have been friends forever. It'll be just like old times! And if things keep going well with you and Zoe, maybe he can return the favor one day." And there it was, Wade thought.

"Uh, Lemon? We've got linens to pick out," George said, saving Wade from the badgering Lemon was preparing to give. "Wade, put this on my tab." Wade nodded in agreement, a half a smirk on his face as he watched George turn the high strung blond towards the door.

"Yes, we do," Lemon agreed, giving Wade a wistful look that told him she wasn't done with him by any means. "I'll be seeing you later then, Wade."

"Think about what I said," George said to Wade. He then turned and linked arms with Lemon, leading her out of the Rammer Jammer. Wade cleared George's plates and wiped up the counter. George had given him one more thing to think about – the same thing he liked to tuck away and pretend didn't exist.

* * *

><p>Zoe shook her head in amusement as she read over the newest edition of Bluebell's weekly newspaper. It was six pages of riveting stories like a progress report on the rebuilding of the covered bridge and the most recent weather predictions by J.J. Reynolds, a local cotton farmer who based his predictions solely on old wives tales and apparently was taken seriously by all of Bluebell. She popped a forkful of eggs into her mouth and turned the page just as Lavon entered the kitchen.<p>

"Someone had a sleepover," Zoe stated as he lumbered in wearing what she recognized as the same clothes he had on yesterday.

"I'm willing to bet you did too," Lavon said, raising his eyebrow.

"We're both adults, no need to explain anything," Zoe said with a shrug of her shoulder. Lavon chuckled. "What are you doing back here so early?"

"Didi took off to Mobile with some new friend she made to do some shopping," Lavon answered. He helped himself to the eggs left in the frying pan. "Why are you up so early?"

"Wade's stupid alarm woke me up," she said. "I had every intention of sleeping until noon."

"Which confirms the sleepover," Lavon said. Zoe gave him a look as he sat down across from her. "Things going well, I assume?" Zoe finished chewing her eggs before she answered.

"They seem to be," she said.

"Seem to be?" Lavon pressed. Zoe sighed. She'd talked about this some with Gigi, but she considered Lavon as another best friend. She knew he was also one of Wade's best friends, but surely she could trust him enough to keep her confidences.

"This stays between us?" she asked.

"Mayor-resident confidentiality," Lavon confirmed. Zoe refrained from rolling her eyes and drew in a breath.

"Okay. Things are going well. The first date? Amazing. The dates after that? Also amazing. Wade? He's pretty much amazing too. But what are we? Are we dating? Are we a couple? Are we friends? We can't be friends. We're more than friends. We have to be more than friends. So what are? And how do I find out? Do I just, like, change my Facebook status and hope he changes his too? Or do I wait for him to bring it up? Or do I…?"

"Stop talking!" Lavon said, cutting Zoe off. He knew her well enough by now to know he had to cut her off or he'd still be sitting there listening to her go on and on an hour later.

"Stopping talking," Zoe said. She inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly. "Okay. So, what do I do?"

"Well, first you let Lavon Hayes decide who's worse at this relationship stuff – you or Wade," Lavon said. Zoe scoffed, making him laugh. "No, really. Wade sat here and fretted over your first date like he was about to give a testimony that determined if he lived or died. Now you're sitting here, pondering the status of your relationship so hard they ought to replace that Thinking Man statue's face with yours."

"We're bad at relationships. I get it. Give me some advice already," Zoe stated, smacking the countertop to emphasis her point.

"How about you ask Wade about it?" Lavon asked. "Next time the two of you are sitting around watching TV or eating breakfast just say 'Hey, Wade? What are we?' And then see what he says." Zoe played with her fork.

"But what if he says we're just friends?" Zoe asked, voicing her fears. It was Lavon's turn to scoff.

"If you think the two of you are just friends, you best be taking yourself on back to New York to see one of those doctor friends of yours, one that specializes in messed up heads," he told Zoe. "The two of you ain't been friends for a good while."

"I really like him," Zoe admitted. "More than I've ever liked anyone." Lavon strongly suspected there was more than a little bit of 'like' going on, but he didn't say so. Zoe was already worried enough about her relationship status without him asking her just how deep her feelings went.

"Just talk to the boy, Zoe," Lavon said again. He finished off his eggs and put his dishes in the dishwasher. "And now, I'm going to shower and make myself presentable for the rest of my day." Zoe rolled her eyes as Lavon left the kitchen.

Talk to Wade. She could do that. She talked to Wade all the time. They could have that conversation, decide where their relationship was heading. They were adults and it was the adult thing to do. She nodded once, firm on her decision to talk to Wade, then picked up the paper and continued reading J.J.'s weather predictions and planning her wardrobe accordingly.

* * *

><p>"That was the most terrifying movie I have ever seen," Zoe stated, her heart rate still straggling back towards normal.<p>

"Oh it won't that scary," Wade said with a grin. He pushed the theater's door open and held it for Zoe.

"I'm going to have nightmares," she informed him. Wade slipped an arm around her and pulled her to him.

"Ain't like you watched much of the movie," he muttered in her ear. "You was too busy tryin' to all but sit in my lap and hide your face in my shirt."

"Which probably played a big part in why you chose that movie," Zoe told him, giving him a suspicious look. Wade laughed.

"Might have," he admitted. "That and I really didn't want to see some girly chick flick."

"I pick the next movie," Zoe said. "And the next – a lot after that."

"Deal," Wade said. He leaned in to kiss Zoe. He'd developed a real problem with keeping his hands off of her lately and often had to remind himself he was taking things slow, force himself to pull away so he didn't push too far. "You wanna get some hot chocolate or somethin' before we head back to Bluebell?" Zoe nodded and the pair set off down the sidewalk hand in hand. Zoe took a deep breath. Now seemed as good of time as any to have the conversation they needed to have.

"So, um, we should probably, you know, talk about what this is with us," she said, stumbling over her words. She felt Wade's hand tense in hers briefly.

"Uh, yeah," he agreed. "We probably should."

"So…," Zoe ventured.

"So…," Wade echoed. Zoe sighed.

"We're bad at this," she stated. "The talking thing, not the dating thing, I mean. We're good at the dating thing. At least I think we are. I don't have a lot of experience to judge by, but it seems like we're good at it." Wade stopped walking and turned to face Zoe, her hand still in his.

"We're good at this datin' thing," he confirmed. "At least for two people that ain't really done it before. And as for what this thing with us is…"

"Wade!" Wade jerked his head around at the sound of his name. He knew that voice.

"You have got to be kiddin' me," he mumbled. Zoe looked in the same direction, slightly annoyed at the interruption.

"Isn't that your sister?" she asked, recognizing the blond woman heading in their direction, her husband in tow.

"Yep," Wade confirmed. "I'll go ahead and apologize now for anything she might end up sayin.'" He kept a hold of Zoe's hand and turned to wait for Meredith and Eric to reach them.

"Hey little brother!" Meredith said excitedly. She looked like Christmas had come all over again. She reached to hug Wade who gave her a half-hearted, one armed hug, still keeping Zoe's hand in his. He wasn't about to feed her to the metaphorical sharks.

"Hey, Sis," he replied. "Eric, hey." He shook Eric's hand.

"Wade, good to see you," Eric replied.

"Y'all remember Zoe," Wade said, releasing Zoe's hand only to move closer to her and put his hand protectively on the small of her back.

"Of course!" Meredith said, giving Zoe a positively dazzling smile. Zoe could especially see the resemblance between brother and sister.

"It's nice to see you again," Zoe said politely, holding out her hand. Meredith bypassed it and hugged Zoe instead. Zoe took it in stride though Wade shifted uncomfortable. This was not what he planned on happening. He was about to ask Zoe to be his girlfriend. With luck, she'd have said yes and they'd get some hot chocolate and stroll around downtown Mobile before heading home. Instead, he was trying not to glare at his sister while Eric greeted Zoe with a polite hello and shook her hand.

"What brings y'all up to Mobile?" Meredith asked.

"Dinner and a movie," Wade answered. "What about the two of you? Where's the kids?"

"They're staying with Eric's parents tonight so we could have a date night," Meredith answered. "I wish I'd have known the two of you were coming up. We could have had dinner together. I'd have loved to have spent some time with the pair of you."

"I'm sure you would have," Wade answered.

"Well what are the two of you up to now?" Eric asked. "We could grab a nightcap."

"Oh, well, we were gonna go get hot chocolate then head back to Bluebell," Wade answered quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was subject Zoe to his sister longer than he had to.

"Oh come on, a nice glass of wine beats a mug of hot chocolate any day," Meredith said. "There's a great little bar right up the street. Who knows the next time I'll see you two, seeing as my brother isn't big on visiting his big sister?"

"I think a glass of wine sounds great," Zoe said. She squeezed Wade's hand by way of letting him know it was okay. She heard him sigh in defeat before he agreed and the two couples headed down the street. Meredith wasted no time in securing them a table and ordering a bottle of wine for the table. Wade rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance and tried to hide it for Zoe's benefit.

"Dr. Hart…"

"Please, call me Zoe," Zoe interrupted. She realized the change in herself almost as soon as the words left her mouth. In New York, she was always 'Dr. Hart' unless she was with family or her closest friends. Here, in Nowhere, Alabama, she was just Zoe unless she was in her office. And she had to admit, she kind of liked being 'just Zoe' when she wasn't working.

"Zoe," Meredith said as though she were trying out the name. "So, you've been in Bluebell for a while now, right? What do think of it?" They paused for their waitress to fill their glasses and offer them an appetizer which they declined.

"It's different," Zoe said. "It's quiet, small. Everyone knows absolutely everything about everyone else. And they base their weather predictions on a farmer."

"J.J. Reynolds," Meredith said. "His methods might be old fashioned, but he's strangely almost always right."

"Well if that's the case I reckon there's going to be a run on bread and milk next week," Eric commented. Wade grinned a little.

"Bluebell is growing on me though," Zoe continued. "Weird Dixie Christmas decorations, pet alligators and all." She glanced over at Wade. "And the people are kind of growing on me too," she added. Under the table, Wade's hand landed on her knee and squeezed it gently.

"Or my brother is growing on you," Meredith said knowingly. Wade gave her a warning look.

"How are Mac and Jake?" he asked, effectively changing the topic for a while as Eric and Meredith shared the latest stories about their kids and took turns showing Zoe and Wade photos and videos of them on their iPhones. Wade was looking for an opening to get him and Zoe out of there – though Zoe seemed perfectly content to sit and talk all night – when the subject shifted back to them.

"So how are things with the two of you?" Meredith asked. "My own observations plus my intelligence from Bluebell tells me it's getting serious." Wade had been waiting for her to bring up the status of his relationship, but he was no less caught off guard. He glanced at Zoe for direction and was met with her eyes looking at him for the same. He felt it was his place to speak for them. He sent up a prayer that he didn't say the wrong thing and end up scaring Zoe off.

"Well… We're um… You know…" He fell over his words, searching for the right thing to say.

"We're dating," Zoe answered smoothly. She put her hand over Wade's which was still resting on her knee and gave it a squeeze, hoping he'd understand that she was okay with giving Meredith that answer. At least for the moment, that was the truth. She felt Wade's hand turn over and lace his fingers through hers. He returned her squeeze in what had become their own private way of communicating.

"Well I think my brother picked a winner," Meredith said, raising her wine glass slightly to Zoe before finishing off the red liquid inside. Zoe smiled at her and picked up her own glass. She was feeling pretty confident that she'd picked a winner herself.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry about Meredith," Wade said for the twentieth time since they'd parted ways with Meredith and Eric. They were in Wade's car, heading back to Bluebell.<p>

"It really is fine," Zoe said, also for the twentieth time. "I told you, I like Meredith. "

"Still, she kinda ruined the night." Zoe shook her head.

"It wasn't ruined," she said. "We had a great dinner, the movie, although terrifying, had its merits though none of them resided in the cinematic quality of the film, and we capped off the night with a good glass of wine and decent conversation. And besides, I was with you." Wade glanced over at her as he took the exit to the highway that would lead them into Bluebell.

"You do have a point," he conceded, thinking as long as he was with her, it really couldn't have been a bad night. Zoe leaned forward and turned his radio on, fiddling with the tuner until she found a country station that came in clearly. She kept the volume low and settled back into her seat. Wade grinned to himself as he drove down the quiet road. It was a mark of how much he cared about Zoe that he let her mess with his radio dial.

It was late, the highway quiet, no cars passing them in the opposite direction. Zoe kept him entertained with her commentary of the movie they'd seen, questioning just how much of it was based on actual events and debating out loud whether or not she believed in possessions and exorcisms. Wade let her talk, interjecting when he needed to and keeping a smirk on his face. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to convince herself it was just a movie, a fact made harder by the 'based on true events' tagline the movie carried.

"Zoe, come on," he said with an amused chuckle as he glanced over at her. "It was just a…" A deer darted across their path. With a string of curse words, Wade slammed on the brakes and instinctively threw his arm across Zoe to pin her to her seat. The Camaro skidded to a stop in the road and the deer ran off, leaving both herself and the car unharmed.

"Oh my God," Zoe exclaimed, her hand over her chest.

"Are you okay?" Wade asked, undoing his seatbelt and turning so he was facing her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Zoe said, even as she rubbed her shoulder where the seat belt strap had restrained her. "Are you?"

"I'm fine," he confirmed. "You sure you're okay? That thing came out of nowhere."

"I'm sure," Zoe said. She looked out the window. "Look," she said, pointing into the field on the side of the road. "There are a bunch of them." Wade looked past her to see a fairly large herd of deer grazing in the moonlight, oblivious that one of their counterparts had nearly caused disaster.

"Huntin' season just ended," he said. "They're startin' to move a little more, 'specially this late at night. We'll drive a little slower the rest of the way home." He settled back into his seat and clicked his seatbelt back in place. He kept the car just under the speed limit and twenty minutes later, he was rolling to a stop in front of Zoe's. He followed her up her porch stairs and stopped at her door, the way he always did when he dropped her off after a date. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I was thinking," she ventured. "Maybe you should stay here tonight." Wade raised an eyebrow.

"Wouldn't have anything to do with that movie we seen, would it?"

"Maybe a little," Zoe confessed. "Plus it gets chilly at night and you know, body heat and stuff."

"You could always turn on your space heater," Wade said, even as he reached to open her door.

"Doesn't seem to quite do the trick," she replied. It was chilly out, the unseasonably warm temperatures from the first part of the week seemingly replaced by unseasonably cold ones for the weekend. J. J. Reynold's had said that would happen in the last edition of the paper. Once inside, he could feel Zoe's house was definitely on the cool side. He had a sneaking suspicion she wasn't entirely sure how to use her heater.

"You know what? I'm gonna start a small fire in the fireplace, knock the chill off. Me and Lavon checked the flue the other day and its clear, shouldn't be a problem to get one started with the kindlin' and wood out by the toolshed. It'll knock the chill off then burn out while we sleep."

"I'm not entirely sure what kindling is, but by all means, knock the chill off," Zoe told him. "I'm going to change and get ready for bed." She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Wade went back outside, first stopping by his house and fishing out one of the few pairs of pajama pants he owned, figuring if he was taking things slow, it'd be best to dress appropriately. Between wearing them while he'd been sick before Christmas and then the last couple of nights with Zoe, they'd gotten more wear in the last month than they had in the last year or so. By the time Zoe returned, he had the first flames of a fire crackling in the fireplace.

"That should catch and warm this place right up," he said. He played with the dials on the space heater, his suspicions that Zoe didn't know how to use it confirmed, then turned to her. He let out a low whistle. "You look incredible." Zoe raised an eyebrow.

"I'm wearing leggings, a gigantic sweatshirt, and socks," she said. Her hair, which had been pinned up in a hairstyle that looked a lot simpler than it was, hung in loose waves around her shoulders and all traces of her makeup had been washed from her face. "I dressed for warmth, not sex appeal."

"You look beautiful," Wade said again. "You always do, but this is the look I like the most. When you're just you, none of that makeup and hair products and sky high heels." Zoe crossed her arms and shook her head. Wade always took her by surprise with his honesty, the way he could make a few simple words say so much.

"Come on," she said, motioning for him to follow her to bed. He removed his shirt before he joined her under the covers. Zoe turned the bedside lamp off and darkness fell, the flames from the fire providing a soft glow. She laid her head on Wade's chest. He sighed contently and started playing with her hair.

"You know, we were 'bout to have a kinda important conversation before my sister showed up," he said. Now that the topic had come up, he knew he'd never be able to sleep until they'd hashed things out.

"We were," Zoe agreed. She propped herself up on her elbow. "You said we were good at this dating thing and were about to say something about this 'thing' between us when Meredith interrupted." Wade took a deep breath and pushed himself up on to his elbow so he was face to face with Zoe.

"Well," he said, "I was gonna say that this thing between us… It's a good thing. A real good thing. And you know, when Meredith asked about, well, us, I really wanted to tell her you're my girlfriend. So I guess what I'm tryin' to say here is that I'd like for you to be… my girlfriend. If you want to be and all." Zoe couldn't help but smile as Wade fell over his words.

"Does that mean you'd be my boyfriend?" she asked.

"That's generally how these things work," he confirmed.

"I like how that sounds," she said. "So, we're doing this? Us, me and you, a real relationship?" Wade nodded and slid closer. He rested his hand on her hip.

"I ain't done this in a real long time," he told her. "And if I'm bein' honest, it scares the hell out of me. But, well, the thought of losing you scares me even more. You might have to be patient with me sometimes, but I'm gonna do my best to be okay at this." For the second time in less than 10 minutes, Zoe swooned at Wade's words.

"I'm not all that good at it either," she told him. "So that patience thing? It's gonna have to go both ways."

"Deal," Wade said, nodding in agreement. They looked at each other for several long moments, both processing what happened. Zoe was the first to break into a smile.

"I have a boyfriend," she stated.

"You do," Wade confirmed. He kissed her then reached for his phone he'd dropped on the nightstand.

"What are you doing?" Zoe asked, returning to her previous position on his chest.

"Updatin' my relationship status on Facebook," he answered. "The town's gonna be talkin' anyway, may as well get 'em started early." Zoe laughed and rolled away from him to retrieve her own phone and confirm that she was, indeed, in a relationship with one Wade Kinsella. She was sure she'd be able to hear Gigi's incredulous shriek of excitement all the way from New York.

* * *

><p><strong>I've lived out that deer scenario many times in my hometown. Not cool, Bambi, not cool. Everyone I know throws their arm out over the passenger seat. I do it too - but instead of bracing to hit a deer, it's usually to brace from hitting the car in front of me. Nashville drivers, I tell ya... <strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	17. Bones

**As I post this, there is a literal tornado warning going on. It's also exceptionally late and I'm terrified. I don't do storms. That's my only issue with being a Southerner. Not cool, Mother Nature, not cool. But this goes to show you how much I love you all for all of your continued support. :) **

**This chapter was based on the Little Big Town song "Bones." I think this is the most appropriately titled chapter yet. I encourage you to at least look up the lyrics. It could have even served as the title of this whole story. **

**DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. I know nothing about being a doctor or medicine. I'm a music journalist and a social media professional and I think a shot of whiskey is a better remedy for a cough than any antibiotic. See? Not a doctor. I looked up all medical 'things' in this chapter through Google. So don't take this as entirely accurate and don't use it to go diagnose yourself. That's what WebMD is for. Not really, but you get it. Again, I'm not a doctor in any way shape or form. **

**DISCLAIMER II: Us Southerners, we act like this when it snows. If you live below the Mason-Dixon line, you can't deny it. Just embrace it.  
><strong>

**THINGS I OWN: A NOAA weather radio. And every weather alert app known to man kind. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>"This can't be good for me," Zoe commented, tearing off another piece of the large, gooey cinnamon roll sitting on the bar in front of her.<p>

"You don't a weight a hundred pounds soakin' wet. I don't even want to hear it," Shelly told her from where she was brewing several pots of coffee. The Rammer Jammer wasn't technically open yet, but Zoe was seated at the bar, nibbling on a fresh out of the oven cinnamon bun dripping in sweet icing and anxiously awaiting the coffee to finish.

"I'll have you know I've gained five pounds since I moved here," Zoe said indignantly. "You Southerners can't eat anything unless it's rolled in batter and fried in stick of butter."

"Five whole pounds on that tiny little body of yours? Woo freakin' hoo," Shelly retorted.

"Are you always so cheerful in the mornings?"

"You used to be a real ray of sunshine yourself," Shelly reminded her. "Then you make it all Facebook official with Wade and everything's suddenly comin' up daisies. He ain't never been too bad in the mornings, but I've seen you at your finest." She pulled a pretzel stick out of her pocket and stuffed it in her mouth. Zoe made a face.

"Please tell me those are freshly stolen."

"What? The ones in my pocket?" Shelly asked, pulling several more out of a front pocket. "Got them last night. They're still good." Zoe shook her head in disgust and tore off another piece of cinnamon roll.

"Shelly, don't harass the customers," Wade said, walking out of the back. "'Specially ones that happen to be my girlfriend." Zoe smiled. It had been a couple of days since they'd made their relationship official and she was still getting used to being referred to as 'Wade's girlfriend.' She liked it though, didn't even mind all the gossip surrounding them. If nothing else, it was a change from the talk about the hem of her shorts.

"You were more fun when you were chasin' after her like a love sick puppy dog," Shelly said before she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Is this your mom's recipe?" Zoe asked, shoving more of the cinnamon roll in her mouth.

"Nah. That's one of Jim's, actually. He got here around four this mornin' to make 'em up. Needless to say, we don't serve cinnamon rolls much."

"They're delicious," she said. "Fattening. Entirely unhealthy. But delicious."

"I'll let Jim know you approve. Coffee?"

"To go, please. I have some charts I need to finish before the clinic opens this morning." Wade poured her coffee and mixed in sugar and creamer just the way she liked it. "Thank you," she said when he slid it to her. She stuffed the last bit of her roll into her mouth then stood to put on her coat.

"I will say, you are rather prepared for cold weather. Or maybe nuclear fallout, given how many layers you're puttin' on," Wade stated, watching as she buttoned her heavy pea coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck and pulled on some gloves.

The weather had turned still colder and though it was still at least 20 degrees warmer than it was in New York, Zoe had grown used to the warm weather and so the cold had shocked her system, just like it had the rest of the Bluebellians. She'd heard on the news the night before that it was some of the coldest temperatures South Alabama had seen in 15 years and then, as she's walked from Lavon's to her carriage house shivering in her thin jacket, had wondered how she'd dealt with New York's chill all those years.

"Cold weather is the one thing I've encountered since moving to Bluebell that I'm familiar with," Zoe countered. "Pet alligators, gumbo contests, those things I don't get. But cold weather? I get cold weather." Wade picked up her medical bag and the giant tote she called a purse and walked her out, unlocking the door to open for breakfast as he went.

"I guess I'll see you this evenin,'" he said.

"Well, I will need someone to start a fire for me," Zoe said seriously. Wade laughed. He'd stopped by under the pretense of getting a fire going for her the last couple of nights and had ended up staying more often than not. She didn't hate it.

"I could do more than that," he said suggestively even though they'd gone no farther than a few heavy make out sessions.

"We'll see," Zoe countered. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly. "See you later."

"Bye, Zoe," he replied, passing her her bags.

She slung her purse over her shoulder and stuffed her fee gloved hand into her coat pocket as she walked the short distance to the clinic. It was earlier than usual, but now that she actually had patients coming to see her of their own free will, she was busier than usual. She'd gotten behind in her charts and wanted to catch them up before her first patient of the day. She had been seated at her desk for nearly an hour when she heard Addie come in.

"You're at it early," Addie said, walking into Zoe's office.

"I got behind in charting, had to catch up," Zoe answered, even as she signed a note.

"But not before an early morning make out session on the sidewalk in front of the Rammer Jammer." Zoe fixed her eyes on Addie who was smirking at her as she made her way out of her coat.

"Two things," Zoe said, holding up two fingers. "First, it was one short kiss. It was strictly G-rated. No tonsil hockey, no need for parents to accompany kids 13 and under down the sidewalk. Second of all, how is that already all over town? It was 6:30 in the morning!"

"Everyone knows Agnes gets up with the chickens to bake her bread for the day. She saw y'all two out the bakery window. She told me all about it when I stopped by to place an order for a couple dozen of her cupcakes to send to school for my youngest boy's birthday the day after tomorrow."

"What did everyone talk about before I came to town?" Zoe asked.

"Well, let's see," Addie said, thinking back. "George Tucker got talked about a lot. First he left for that big, fancy city of yours, then he came back for Lemon so the old bitties loved that, thought it was some kind of romantic. The Breelands, of course. Between Mrs. Breeland running off and Lemon and her sister wearing on their daddy, they were a hot topic of conversation, especially when Lemon was a teenager. And Wade, of course, what girl he'd been with that week, what kind of trouble he'd gotten into, how much had his daddy drank, what that sister of his was up to, all popular topics. I've got to say, Zoe, you really spiced up the talking points around here."

"Glad I could help," Zoe muttered, making another note in a chart.

Addie left to start preparing the clinic for the day. It was Tuesday which meant Brick would be late, moseying in sometime around ten after he'd enjoyed a sleep in and a hot breakfast. Zoe had a theory he came in late on Tuesdays so he could stay up late and watch football on Monday nights and to cover it, kept the off hours all year long. She'd asked him about it once, but he'd excused himself rather quickly, as good as confirming to her that she was right. She was working on the last chart when Addie reappeared in her office.

"Dr. Hart, there's a patient here to see you," she said. Zoe glanced at the clock. It was quarter to eight.

"Tell them we open at 8:00. I'll see them then, before my 8:30 gets here. Unless it's an emergency."

"I told them that already, but they're determined to see you now. Doesn't seem like an emergency, but they're insistent. And Zoe, you might want to go ahead and take a look at them." Addie gave her a meaningful look. Curiosity got the better of Zoe. She closed the chart, pulled on her white coat, and followed Addie out into the waiting room. Earl Kinsella was sitting in a corner chair, anxiously tapping his fingers against his leg. She exchanged a look with Addie who shrugged and returned to her spot behind the front desk.

"Earl?" Zoe asked.

Earl looked up at her. Zoe instantly recognized the whites of his eyes were yellowing as was his skin. "Mornin' Dr. Hart," he muttered through dry, cracked lips.

"You know we're technically not open yet, right?" she asked. She tried to find a physical ailment that might bring him to a doctor's office, but he was too bundled up in layers of jackets and shirts that she couldn't spot anything right off hand and he didn't seem to have a cough or cold or anything along those lines.

"Might have been on purpose," he admitted. "Didn't want nobody to see me if I could help it."

"Good luck with that," Zoe muttered under her breath. "Why don't we go back to my exam room? You can tell me what's going on once we're in there."

Earl pushed himself into a shaky standing position and took a moment to gather himself before he started walking slowly towards the exam room. Zoe frowned. His actions weren't because he was intoxicated but because he simply didn't have the strength to put one foot in front of the other. She helped him onto the exam table and opened his chart while he struggled out of a few of his layers.

From the looks of things, Earl hadn't seen a doctor, at least not one in Bluebell, in years. She quickly read over the last few notes in Harley's handwriting, all quite dated, all various ways of saying Earl needed to quit drinking desperately.

"So what brings you in?" Zoe asked, clipboard in hand.

"This is just between you and me, right?" Earl asked. He looked worried. "You a doctor, you can't tell nobody what I say, right?" Zoe nodded.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality," she confirmed. "Anything you say to me while we're in this clinic and I'm treating you as a patient remains between you and me and no one else. Except maybe God, but he's not going to tell. The only exception is if you tell me you're planning on killing someone. Then I might have to make a couple calls."

"So you won't tell my son?" Earl pressed. "I know you two are datin' pretty hot an' heavy. I don't want him knowin' nothin.' Or Meredith neither."

"I won't tell Wade or Meredith a thing," Zoe promised. "You're my patient, I'm your doctor. This is between me and you. So what's going on? Why are here to see me?"

That was when she noticed his swollen stomach, now free of layers of clothing. She hadn't seen him since the night he stumbled through Wade's yard on his way downtown. In fact, she realized, Earl hadn't made his appearance on the hardware store roof in the last three months. She knew Wade had seen him a handful of times, but he hadn't mentioned anything out of the ordinary. He probably figured Earl's swollen stomach was the result of bad nutrition and too much alcohol. But Zoe knew better. If he were a woman, people would mistake him for being pregnant and since men didn't get pregnant, there was something else going on.

"I ain't feelin' right, Doc," Earl told her. Zoe was vaguely reminded of another Kinsella who called her doc. "I ain't got no energy. I ain't got no strength neither, can hardly pick up my glass."

"That's not a bad thing," Zoe mumbled, then reminded herself she was supposed to be working on her bedside manner. Earl didn't hear her.

"I want to sleep all the dang time. I keep gettin' these bruises, don't know where they comin' from. And my skin's got this red spider-lookin' rash on it, 'specially over my belly."

"What about your appetite?" Zoe asked.

"Ain't got none. I ain't ate a meal in weeks. Don't ever eat much, no how. But my stomach? It just keeps gettin' bigger, see?" Zoe put aside her clipboard and approached Earl. She did a thorough physical assessment, wishing desperately she had some record of what Earl's baseline was. She did her best to hide her deepening frown from him as she felt his fluid filled stomach. She could barely feel his liver, dangerously enlarged, through the fluid.

"You can sit up now," Zoe told him. Earl did so, pulling his undershirt down. It was too small though, not able to cover his swollen belly.

"What's wrong with me, Doc?"

"Well, I need to run some tests," Zoe told him. "I'll have Addie come in and draw some blood in a few minutes and get you prepped for an ultrasound. Ideally, I'd like to send you to Mobile for more testing, but I have a feeling that's not going to happen, is it?" Earl shook his head.

"I ain't goin' to Mobile," he confirmed. "Absolutely not. I came to you 'cause you Harley Wilkes' daughter and I thought a lot of him. If there's a test you can't do here, then I won't be havin' it." Normally, she would have all but demanded that a patient with Earl's symptoms be treated somewhere other than a small town clinic. But she knew the Kinsella family's history and that told her Earl wasn't about to set foot in a Mobile hospital.

"I have to be upfront with you, Earl. I'd really like you to have a CT scan and an endoscopy at the least, maybe a few more tests. But if you're not willing to go to a specialist, I'll have to make do with what I have here which is a battery of blood tests and an ultrasound machine."

"Do what you gotta do," Earl said with a shrug. It was a gesture he seemed to have passed to his son. "But can you at least take a guess as to what's wrong with me?" Zoe pursed her lips. This was hard anyway, delivering bad news, but it was even harder being that her patient was Wade's father.

"Without having your test results in front of me, this is, essentially, my opinion. A guess, if you will." Zoe waited for Earl to nod in understanding. "Earl, I think you have cirrhosis of the liver." She watched as her words registered with Earl.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Putting it as simply as I can, cirrhosis is a progressive disease where the healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue which eventually prevents the liver from functioning properly. The scar tissue blocks the flow of blood through the liver and slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, things like that. It also slows down the production of proteins and other substances."

"Sounds serious," Earl said.

"It is," Zoe confirmed. "Very serious. But before we panic, I'm going to order a full set of blood tests and do an ultrasound. We won't know anything for sure until then, okay?" Earl nodded.

"Will it kill me?" he asked. Zoe hesitated to answer. It was a perfectly normal question, one she would expect. With most patients, they would ask in order to grip the magnitude of their diagnosis and then follow it up by asking about treatment options and survival rates. Something told Zoe that Earl wouldn't be concerned with those things.

"It can," she told him. "But we're not thinking about that right now. We have to make a diagnosis first."

"Can you make it quick?" he asked. "I want to get out of here before Breeland comes in. Before the town wakes up good too." Zoe took pity on him and instead of calling for Addie, started the workup herself.

"You're going to feel a pinch," she told him just before she stuck the first needle under his skin. He didn't flinch.

"My boy really cares 'bout you," Earl commented. "I ain't seen him much lately, but he always talks 'bout you when he drops by."

"Well I really care about him," Zoe said as she worked. "You've got a great son."

"You remind me of his momma," Earl continued. "Don't look a thing like her, but there's somethin' 'bout you all the same. You a lot like your daddy too."

"People tell me that, but I don't buy it. Harley was a much better person than I'll ever be." Zoe expertly swapped out vials and watched as a second one started to fill with blood.

"I don't buy that you're the Yankee bitch people think you are," Earl said bluntly. "I 'member you down there, tryin' to get me off the roof 'fore Wade came. And I heard 'bout how you helped that Mabel and her baby when you first got here. Don't think for a second I was fooled by Wade crashin' that tractor neither. Wade learned to drive on a tractor, he ain't gonna crash one drivin' down a straight street no faster than a snail's crawl. You was helpin' that blond Belle."

Zoe didn't say anything, pretending to be absorbed in taking his blood. It was like Earl was all knowing, all seeing. She supposed he was one of the only people in Bluebell who could just disappear, blend in. People knew him as the town drunk, walked right past him on the street, dismissing him as a waste of time. They'd never realize he was watching, taking everything in at face value. She almost envied him for that.

"That mornin' when I woke up at Wade's and saw you and him sleepin' on the couch? Reminded me of me and his momma. He really likes you, that boy of mine. I reckon he might even be in love with you." Zoe's hand shook ever so slightly as she capped the vial and bandaged his arm.

"All done," she said. "We'll do the ultrasound really quick and then you can go, okay? I have to send these off to the lab so it'll be a few days before we have a diagnosis of any sort."

"Whatever you gotta do, Doc."

Zoe put all of her focus into the ultrasound, watching the screen intently, her frown deepening as her suspicions were confirmed. His liver was dangerously enlarged and not at all healthy, damaged by years of heavy drinking and a bad diet. His stomach was full of fluid that needed to come out. There were so many reasons he needed to go to a better-equipped facility, but she knew even asking was useless. She turned off the machine and took a moment to close her eyes, take a deep breath, and pull her emotions out of it before she turned to him.

"The results should be back in a couple of days," she told him. "Until then, I'm going to give you some pills to take, some that will relieve your symptoms and fluid pills that should help with the fluid you're retaining in your abdomen. And Earl, I really need you to avoid alcohol. It's extremely important that you stop drinking immediately."

"Done tried that, Doc. Quittin' ain't easy so I ain't gonna do it." Zoe sighed.

"Try," she said with conviction though understanding she was dealing with an addict. "And make sure you come back here for your test results. We'll go from there."

"You ain't gonna tell nobody, right?" Earl asked as he started pulling on his shirts and jackets. "'Specially not my boy?"

"I'm your doctor. This is completely between us," Zoe confirmed yet again. "And I'll tell you what. It's Tuesday. Your results should be in sometime Thursday. Come early Friday morning, around 7:00. I'll get you in and out before Brick even leaves his house."

"I will," Earl promised. He reached for Zoe's hand and gave it a quick, affectionate squeeze. "You take care of my boy, won't you?" Zoe nodded, seeing a different side of Earl, a side of him that was hidden underneath his usually inebriated state. He wasn't father of the year, but there was a lot more to him than he let on. That was another trait he'd passed on to his son. She followed him out into the waiting room and handed him several packages of sample pills with instructions on what to take and when. She stood at the window and watched him make his way down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of the Rammer Jammer.

"I ain't no doctor, but I know enough about medicine to know his liver done finally had enough. He's as yellow as a daffodil in the springtime." Addie commented, coming to stand by Zoe.

"Yeah," Zoe said softly. "I wanted to refer him to Mobile so he could have a CT and a few other tests we can't run here but I knew he'd never go for it. He shut me down as soon as I mentioned it. The best I can do is a full blood work up and an ultrasound."

"Cirrhosis of the liver?" Addie guessed. Zoe nodded.

"I'm almost certain. I'm also almost certain that's not his only health problem."

"Bless his heart," Addie muttered under her breath.

"I told him no alcohol but that's like telling a fish no water," Zoe said. "He doesn't want Wade or Meredith to know. I can't tell them because I'm his doctor, but I have a feeling he's not planning on telling them something's wrong any time soon either."

"I seriously doubt it," Addie confirmed. The two women watched as Earl wandered up to the liquor store and tried the handle. It wouldn't be open for hours, but that didn't seem to faze Earl. He sat down on a nearby bench, content to wait until he could buy the very thing that was killing him.

* * *

><p>The following evening, Zoe trooped into Lavon's, starving and her mind full of worries over not just Earl but another patient, an elderly lady who had caught pneumonia and wasn't responding to any treatment she or Brick had tried so far. Lavon and Wade were already there, their backs turned to Zoe as they intently started at the TV.<p>

"You'd think grown men would have something better to do with their evenings than play video games," she stated to announce her presence even though she could clearly see they were watching something on the local news rather than playing Xbox. Both of them looked over their shoulder.

"Hey, Big Z," Lavon mumbled out, already turning his attention back to the TV. "Beef stew on the stove if you want some." Wade gave her a grin.

"Hey, Zoe," he said, holding his arm out for her. She went to him and let him pull her into a quick hug. She squeezed him tightly. She'd purposefully avoided him since her early morning visit from Earl the previous day which had turned out rather easy since Wade had left the Rammer Jammer and went out cutting some wood for plantation fireplaces which had somehow led him to helping George with a broken water tank that then ended in a couple drinks at the Rammer Jammer. Zoe was tucking into bed when she heard his car pull up at his place and it had been easy to use work as her excuse to avoid him for a second day. Now that it was evening and she'd gone a day and a half without seeing him, she'd started to miss him. It was good to be in his arms again.

"What are you two so interested in?" she asked, pulling away from him. She ladled some strew into a bowl.

"J.J. Reynolds was right," Lavon said. "Looks like Bluebell's getting some snow starting sometime tonight."

"It snows down here?" Zoe asked. She sat down where she could see the TV. She found it hard to believe. She'd been wearing shorts comfortably as recently as two weeks ago.

"Hardly ever," Wade answered. "Ain't seen nothin' you could even measure in what, Lavon? Four, five years?"

"Something like that," Lavon confirmed. "It was what? Two inches?"

"Schools were closed for a week," Wade said as he sat down next to Zoe.

"For two inches of snow?" Zoe asked. "Seriously?"

"That's a blizzard down here, Big Z. Weatherman says we could get up to four inches this time. I might have to ask the governor to declare a state of emergency if that happens." Zoe snorted into her soup. Growing up in New York, she was old hat when it came to dealing with snow. Only when the rare blizzard hit the city did things stop and even then it wasn't for long. She was hard pressed to believe the citizens of Bluebell were that concerned over a couple inches of snow that, given how far south they were, would probably melt away within a day or so.

"I think Dr. Hart is in for a surprise, Mr. Mayor," Wade commented.

"I think so," Lavon agreed.

"I think you need to experience a real snowstorm before you go exercising your mayoral power and declaring emergencies."

"You'll see," Wade told her. "It's like the heat wave all over again." Zoe raised an eyebrow at him.

"Except the part where it's below freezing outside?" Wade slid his stool closer to her.

"Just like the heat makes people crazy, so does the snow. We don't get the white stuff down here much so when it does come, it's an excuse to go a little bit crazy." Zoe shook her head. Lavon studied her for several moments before turning to Wade.

"You know Wade, I reckon we're gonna be needing a few supplies to get us through the storm." Wade nodded, catching on.

"Some bread, milk, maybe some eggs." Lavon nodded along, looking deep in thought. Zoe continued eating her stew, listening in to the two act like Armageddon was upon them.

"I need some peanut butter," he said thoughtfully. "You know how Mayor Hayes loves his peanut butter."

"I reckon we might need some more cereal too. Maybe some of them Pop Tarts too, stuff that'll keep okay if the power goes out." Zoe rolled her eyes. The two men looked at each other.

"Not it!" Wade suddenly burst out, holding up his hands. Zoe jumped and looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Not it!" Lavon called seconds later. He bounced on his toes, pointing at Zoe. "Zoe wins!" Zoe frowned, confused.

"Win what?" she asked. "What are you two talking about?" She narrowed her eyes, suddenly suspicious. "What are you setting me up for? If it's another Founder's Day parade or some kind of fried chicken cook off or something, you can forget it. I'm out."

"You, Zoe, did not call 'not it' fast enough," Lavon answered. "Therefore, you get to go grocery shopping. Before the snow starts, which means you have to go tonight." Zoe couldn't understand what they were making such a big deal about.

"Fine. I'll go get your stupid milk and your stupid peanut butter and your stupid Pop Tarts," she said. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"You know, since it's cold out and I'm tryin' to be a good boyfriend and all, I'll even drive you. But you get to do all the shoppin.' I'll keep the car warm," Wade said.

"You know what? I think I'll ride along, sit in the car with Wade, keep him company. Hurry up and finish that stew. We got to get going."

"Both of you are insane," Zoe said. She purposefully took her time eating the rest of her stew. Then got a second bowl for spite.

* * *

><p>Zoe took in the scene in front of her in horror. Every man, woman and child in Bluebell could be found in the small supermarket, frantically filling their carts with any and everything.<p>

"What…?" she muttered, standing just inside the door and taking it all in. Lavon and Wade stood behind her, self-satisfied smirks on their faces. Sally Rogers rushed by, her cart brimming with milk, bread and bottled water, her toddler son barely visible among all the groceries. Her young daughter was left to do her best to keep up.

"It's gonna snow in Bluebell," Wade said. "'Member what I said 'bout snow makin' people crazy? Well, here you go. Crazy." Lavon stepped forward, pulling a folded piece of notebook paper from the pocket of his jacket.

"I took the liberty of making you a grocery list," he said, handing Zoe the folded up paper. "I'll be mingling with my people while you shop." Lavon left them, hailing an older woman Zoe didn't know as he went. Wade stepped closer to Zoe to get out of the way of the door.

"This is insane," Zoe told him. "It's just snow!"

"Snow. In South Alabama," Wade reminded her. "We got some freezin' rain last winter – made a real mess of things for about two days. Lloyd's Auto Body Shop got enough work he coulda closed for the rest of the year and been set. Kids didn't go to school all week. Matter of fact, they already shut down schools for tomorrow, probably won't go the rest the week." Zoe looked at him.

"It's not even snowing yet!" Wade just shrugged. She'd understand soon enough.

"You better get to that list. Ain't but a couple loaves of bread left." He leaned over and kissed her temple. "Good luck," he said before heading off in the same direction as Lavon.

"Good luck?" Zoe repeated. She looked at her list. Bread, milk, eggs, butter, cheese, peanut butter, cereal, Pop Tarts, beer. She shook her head, already mentally adding things like carrots and coffee. Men didn't know how to grocery shop. She went to get a cart, only to find them all gone. "Okay then," she said, looking around. She spied Addie heading towards the door with her bags. "Addie! Can I have your cart?" she asked. Addie pushed it towards her.

"It's a war zone," she told Zoe.

"What I don't understand is why," Zoe stated. "It's just a little snow!" She had a feeling that was going to be her mantra for the next day or two. She wasn't too surprised when Addie laughed at her.

"You just better hope the good folks of Bluebell take the weatherman's advice and stay in. Otherwise, you're going to be seeing what a 'little bit of snow' can do. Now I've got to get home and tend to my boys. Bill's going to be right busy in another 12 or so hours so I want to get a good, hot meal in him before it starts." Addie left Zoe with her car. Zoe turned and took in the chaos one more time, Lavon and Wade nowhere to be found.

"It's just snow," she said again to no one in particular. Spying that there really were only a few loaves of bread left, she decided to start there first. When Wade found her thirty minutes later, she had reached the end of her rope.

"You okay, Doc?" he asked, taking in her frazzled state.

"What is wrong with these people?" she asked him. "That loaf of bread? I had to literally pull it out of Margie Roper's wrinkled hands. And eggs? Forget about it. There were two women fighting over the last gallon of whole milk and it went flying into the eggs, broke all of them. I had to get skim milk so don't you or Lavon dare complain about it. And if Lavon wants peanut butter, he can get it himself. I forgot to grab some and I am not wading my way back across this place to get it." She noticed Wade was smirking at her. "What?" she demanded. "What's so funny?" He laughed and took over the shopping cart.

"Take a deep breath," he told her soothingly. "What else is on the list?"

"Nothing," Zoe answered. "Your timing sucks." Wade laughed again.

"Look, how about you go get in line and I'll go get Lavon's peanut butter? Then we can go home and watch a movie or somethin' and wait for the snow to start." Zoe agreed and sighed heavily as she went to stand in the longest line she'd ever seen in a grocery store.

* * *

><p>Hours later, she was curled up on Lavon's couch, head resting on Wade's shoulder as they watched some sitcom Lavon had turned on before excusing himself to talk to Didi when she'd called a half hour earlier. Wade had an arm around her, his feet propped up on the coffee table.<p>

"Are you okay?" he asked, breaking the comfortable silence they'd fallen into since Lavon left the room. Zoe looked up at him, her brow furrowed.

"I'm fine," she said. "Why?"

"Well, it's just, you've been kind of quiet and I think maybe you've been avoidin' me. Have I already messed up?" Zoe was reminded again just how well Wade knew her. She thought she'd done a good job of hiding her worry over his father but apparently she hadn't. She moved so she could see him better.

"No," she assured him. "You haven't done anything, at all. I've just…" She searched for words that would be truthful without breaking confidentiality. "I've got a patient that I'm worried about," she told him. "I'm not sure I'll be able to help them." It was the truth and yet revealed nothing. Wade smoothed a hand over her hair.

"You're a great doctor," he told her. "You'll find a way if there's one to find." Zoe tried to give him a smile then settled back on his chest.

He had no idea she was talking about his father. As much as Wade complained about Earl, Zoe knew he cared about him, that he wouldn't want to see anything happen to him, especially since his mother was already gone. The saddest part to her was that Earl had largely done this to himself. His dependency on alcohol was going to ultimately cost him his life.

There were treatment options, of course. First and foremost, he'd have to quit drinking. He had looked at her as though she'd sprouted two heads when she'd suggested it earlier and then carried himself to the liquor store as soon as they were done so she was sure she had a snowball's chance in hell of actually getting him to lay down the bottle. He was an addict though and regardless of who the patient was and what they were addicted to, she'd still be facing an uphill battle. As his doctor, she had to face him head on, do what she could to convince him to get help.

She could give him an arsenal of medicines, but if he was as advanced as she thought he was, if her guess of a diagnosis just from what she could see on an ultrasound was right, he would need more than pills. He would need a miracle and at the very least, a liver transplant that he was likely not a candidate for in the first place.

Wade laughed at something on the TV and she faked a chuckle so he wouldn't question her mood any further. She didn't know how she was going to do this, toe the line between professional and girlfriend as long as Earl insisted on her being his doctor and on not telling his family. Lavon returned and an argument broke out between him and Wade when he hit the rewind button on the TV show he'd missed while on the phone. Neither of them noticed that Zoe's usual opinion was strangely missing as they bickered.

Outside, the first of the snow had started to fall.

* * *

><p><strong>Earl... He's interesting. <strong>

**It snowed one day last week. This above scenario happened. And now we're having tornadoes. Go figure. **

**They just pointed out my road as in the path of the tornado, hitting in about 35 minutes. I'm going to go hide in my bathroom now. **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	18. We Got Us

**WHEW. Finally got this finished! I had - not writers block, because I've known how this story is going to go from beginning to the very end since the very first word was typed - but a certain amount of trouble getting things exactly how I wanted them to go. **

**THANK YOU to all of you who have left reviews and messaged me and asked if I either survived the tornadoes I mentioned last update or was still writing. I'm sorry if I haven't gotten back to you yet - real life jobs are quite busy right now. :) **

**This update is inspired by Canaan Smith's "We Got Us." This song just got released nationally and I encourage you to go listen. I've been jamming out to it for a few weeks now. **

**THINGS I OWN: Some really great concert tickets for a show in May that I'm counting down for. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>Zoe stood in the window of Lavon's living room, looking out over the plantation's lawn. It was covered in white, soft snow still falling. The oak trees lining the drive looked like something out a fairy tale. It was, literally, sparkling. She'd seen a lot of snow over the course of her life, but she'd never seen anything like this. She heard Wade and Lavon come in through the back mud room, stomping their boots and laughing about something.<p>

"You still looking out that window?" Lavon asked as they trooped into the kitchen, both dressed for the cold weather, their heavy boots and coats shed in the mud room. "Thought you grew up in the snow yet there you are looking at it like you ain't never seen it before."

"Not like there's anything else to do," Zoe said, turning away from the window. "I boiled some water for hot chocolate. It should still be hot if you two want some."

"Look at you, boilin' water," Wade said. "Learnin' to drive, survivin' your first trip to the grocery store before a snow storm… You better be careful, girl. People might start mistakin' you for a Bluebellian."

"Ha ha," Zoe said. She leaned on the counter watching as the two fixed themselves mugs of hot chocolate in a weird sort of assembly line only years of friendship could come up with. "Where did you two go anyway? And why'd you come back? I was kind of enjoying the peace and quiet without that stupid video game blasting in the background. "

"Watch how you talk about Modern Warfare," Lavon warned.

"We went for a drive around town, checked things out. Looks like everyone minded the officials and kept themselves inside. Didn't seen nothin' but a few kids playin' in that little park out on the other edge of town," Wade answered.

"We might have joined them in throwing a few snowballs," Lavon added.

"Throwin' 'em at them more like," Wade said. "Won't a very mayoral thing to do if you ask me. Just like hidin' and blamin' me won't. Ain't re-election comin' up at the end of the year?"

"Shut up," Lavon said. Everyone in the room knew Lavon's job as Mayor was his as long as he wanted it. "I reckon I done had enough of you for a while. I'm going to retire to my study and – read a book or something." He turned to leave, trying for an air of dignity.

"He ain't gonna go read a book. He's just gonna call Didi," Wade told Zoe.

"And you're just going to sit down here and kiss her," Lavon said, jerking his thumb in Zoe's directions as he walked away. Wade just shrugged. That was pretty much his plan so there was no use in denying it. Lavon's laugh disappeared with the click of his study door.

"You two act like teenagers most of the time, you realize that, right?" Zoe asked.

"It's a tough job, bein' an adult all the time," Wade answered. Zoe couldn't argue with that. She gravitated back towards the window as Wade rummaged in the fridge for something to hold him over until it was an acceptable time for dinner. The snow was starting to taper off, but the temperatures were supposed to hover at or below freezing for the next couple of days, keeping the white stuff around. She was thankful Brick was the one on call so she could stay inside where it was warm. She figured it was only fair, seeing as she'd somehow ended up on call over Thanksgiving, the night of the BCS Championship, and, if she'd read the calendar correctly, Super Bowl Sunday, conveniently any day there was a big football game.

"You really can't stay away from that window, can you?" Wade asked, coming up behind her. He slipped an arm around her from behind and pulled her against him.

"It's so beautiful out," she told him. "I've never seen snow like this before."

"You mean it's not cold and white in New York?"

"Cold, yeah, white, not so much," she told him. "It's all gray and slushy. The city makes it that way, all the smog and car fumes. It's always been more of a nuisance than anything, unless you catch it when it's freshly fallen. I've never had a snow day, a day to just stay in and enjoy it. It's like I can't turn away."

"Now you know how I feel every time I look at you," Wade muttered in her ear. Zoe felt her heart flutter. She hoped she never got used to that, Wade surprising her with sweet words one wouldn't think he was capable of at first glance. She also hoped he never stopped surprising her. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Wordlessly, she pulled him in for a deep kiss. She moved to let him go but he moved with her. Before she knew it, she was pressed up against the window, forgetting that Lavon could walk in on them at any moment.

"Whoa," she said when they finally broke apart.

"Yeah," Wade echoed. He couldn't quite hide his smirk. Zoe ran her hand down his chest. She could just feel his tight muscles through the two shirts he was wearing.

"Let's go to my place," she said.

"Why Dr. Hart, what might you be suggestin'?" Wade asked. His hands crept lower on her hips.

"We could just… Watch a movie or something."

"On what? Your laptop?" While he had a big screen TV and satellite, Zoe didn't have so much as a black and white emergency TV.

"We could go to your place then," Zoe replied. Her hand again trailed down his chest again. Wade caught it and brought it to his lips.

"Bundle up," he told her. "We're goin' outside." Zoe thought to question him but then decided it wasn't worth it. He'd either persuade her to go along with whatever he was up to in the end or he'd just bundle her up himself, toss her over his shoulder, and she'd find herself involved in yet another obscure Bluebell tradition. Several minutes later, they were both in heavy coats, boots and gloves. Zoe had pulled a hat on too.

"Now what?" she asked as she followed him out the door. He shrugged.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Just figured it didn't make much sense for you to sit and stare out the window at the snow when we could go out in it."

"So you got me to bundle up for no real reason?" Zoe asked. Wade shrugged.

"I reckon so," he admitted. Zoe put her hand in his.

"Let's take a walk," she said. "You lead the way."

"Follow me then," he told her. He led her towards the plantation's main drive, no real destination in mind. The snow had all but stopped, a few stray flakes falling from the still thick clouds. It was cold, but they were bundled up enough where it wasn't unbearable. "What'd you do in New York when it snowed?"

"Go to work or school," Zoe answered. "I never really had a snow day, remember?"

"You mean you never had a day where it snowed so much they cancelled school when you were growin up?"

"Well a few times," Zoe amended. "Usually when there was a big blizzard or something like that. But I grew up in Manhattan. I didn't go sledding or build snowmen. The thing with snow in New York is that falls, looks pretty for just a few minutes, and then it starts melting, between the city warmth and the sheer number of people walking around. It gets all gray and disgusting. Whenever I had a snow day growing up, I used it as my excuse to either stay home and read medical journals or, on a good day, I got to go with my – fake dad – to the hospital and hang out."

"You know, you can call him your father," Wade said. "You spent nearly thirty years of your life thinkin' the guy was your dad."

"I know," Zoe admitted. "I just feel – guilty, I guess, calling him 'dad' when I know Harley was actually my father. And then I feel bad because I don't know Harley. I know he was my dad, I know he was a doctor, and thanks to you, I know how he took his coffee. But I don't know him. If I would have just taken the job when he offered it to me the first time, I might have had a chance to know him."

"I think you ended up here right when you were supposed to," Wade said. Zoe smiled up at him.

"You might be right," she agreed. She had been thinking on this topic a lot lately. Had she taken Harley up on his offer and moved to Bluebell right after her med school graduation, she would have never been able to deal with the adjustment. She'd matured over her years as a surgical resident and needed to be brought down a few pegs by losing the fellowship before she could truly appreciate what Bluebell was offering her – both professionally and personally.

"Might be right… That's somethin' I probably won't hear from you very often." Zoe laughed, realizing she was walking so close to him their arms were brushing, even as she held his hand. She didn't move away.

"I still think I'd like to get to know Harley's side of my family," she told Wade. "At least know who they are. Maybe I have an aunt or an uncle or cousins. I know you said he had a sister that died, but maybe she had kids? Or maybe he has a brother or another sister? I just don't know where to start."

"I reckon goin' through Harley's stuff might be as good of place as any," Wade said. "I think he was a bit of a history buff. Hard to tell what might be sittin' up there above the practice collectin' dust." Zoe considered what he was saying.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to look. It seems kind of disrespectful though, just throwing open a door and going through his things."

"But makin' yourself at home in his office before you even had a place to sleep when you first got here was okay?" Wade asked.

"Point taken," Zoe conceded. "I guess I'll start figuring out who I am and I'll by going through Harley's stuff." She looked at Wade. "Do you know your roots? Where you came from, who you are, all that stuff?"

"My family's lived in Bluebell forever," he told her. "Mama's side, anyway. Dad's people moved down from somewhere up around Little Rock 'bout three generations ago. Mama's family were some of the first settlers right after the country declared Independence and then they moved west when too many people settled 'round 'em. Made their livin' fishin' and farmin' like a lot of the folks 'round here."

"Huh," Zoe said, thinking. It amazed her, how just about any Southerner she met could trace their family history back to almost the very beginning. She herself could barely remember the name of her great-great grandfather on her mother's side and she still wasn't sure she was right. "Maybe I'm some great-great-great-granddaughter of a Civil War hero or something."

"Maybe you're a legacy to the Belles," Wade said with a smirk, envisioning Lemon's reaction. "You could ride on their float in the Founder's Day parade, attend their tea parties…" Zoe smacked him playfully across the chest.

"Don't joke about that," she said. "Being a legacy to anything Lemon is involved with is too much of a nightmare to even consider." Wade laughed. Zoe glanced over her shoulder.

"Hey, look," she said, dropping Wade's hand. She took several steps towards the side of the road and then stooped down.

"What?" Wade asked, following her.

"This!" Zoe turned and fired a snowball at him, hitting him squarely in the chest.

"Oh, it is so on," he told her, already moving to form his own snowball. Laughing, Zoe took off at a run, more sure footed than Wade in the snow although his aim was still good even while she was in motion. She made it back to his house and managed to slip inside and slam and lock the door behind her before he was on the porch.

"You're gonna try and keep me out of my house?" he asked, amused.

"It was closer than mine and you were catching up," Zoe told him, trying to catch her breath. Wade shrugged.

"Okay, then," he said. "You go right on ahead and make yourself comfortable." And then he disappeared down the porch stairs and out of site. Zoe frowned.

"Hey!" she called, trying to spot him out the windows. "Wade?" She made her way into his small kitchenette and tried to see out of the window above the sink. She knew he was up to something. "Fine then," she announced to no one. She went and sat down on his couch, determined not to help him out by going outside in search of him, sure that was what he wanted her to do. She was working on pulling off her coat when something cold hit her square between the shoulders. She shrieked and whirled around. Wade was standing between her and the kitchen, grinning wide.

"You forgot about the back door," he told her. "All I had to do was wait for you to leave the kitchen."

"Dammit!" Zoe mumbled, shrugging off her coat after checking that Wade was now unarmed. "Well played, Kinsella." Laughing, Wade walked up to her and helped her out of her coat. He had her in his arms before the thick fabric hit the floor.

"Truce?" he asked.

"Maybe," Zoe ventured. She unzipped Wade's heavy coat.

"Maybe?" he repeated. "What's a guy gotta do to earn his way back into your good graces?"

"Surprise me," Zoe told him. She slid his coat off his shoulders and as it joined hers, his lips were on hers. "Truce," she breathed when he finally pulled away.

"That's my girl," he said, almost huskily. "What do you say we hang out here, watch some TV, work on keepin' the cold out?" Zoe agreed and removed her boots while Wade got a fire going in his small fireplace. He moved his space heater from his bedroom to the living room and turned it up before joining Zoe on the couch.

* * *

><p>"You can't flip a car that many times and walk away unscathed," Zoe said.<p>

"He's not unscathed. Are you missin' the blood pourin' down his face?" Wade replied, barely taking his eyes off the TV.

"He just walked away from a fiery car crash under his own power. A crash like that, he should at least be hanging on to life by the thinnest of threads, not walking into another gun battle or whatever."

"You're runin' this for me," Wade told her.

"Because the whole premises of racing street cars through a desert in Mexico or wherever they are so they can stop a heroin dealer is so realistic in the first place."

"It was until you started tellin' me all the reasons it won't."

"After four straight movies of the same guy evading the law by helping the law, you start to not buy it," Zoe said.

"Got like two more to watch after this," Wade replied. Zoe rolled her eyes. She had let Wade pick the first movie and that had somehow turned into the entire Fast and the Furious series. She'd make him regret that choice the next time they had a movie night.

"Pass me the peanut butter," she said. Wade leaned forward and passed her the open jar of peanut butter sitting on the coffee table along with a jar of pickles, a mostly empty bag of chips and a sleeve of Oreos. He used a fork to fish another pickle out for himself. It was a makeshift dinner at best, but neither of them kept many groceries on hand and had decided it wasn't worth bundling back up and trudging through the snow to Lavon's now that it had gotten dark and the temperatures had dropped even lower.

"Pickles and peanut butter, the dinner of champions," he commented.

"Beats going out in the cold," Zoe said.

"Although warming each other up has its perks," Wade replied. He finished his pickle and moved so he could stretch out across the sofa, his head in Zoe's lap. Zoe tried to pay attention to Wade's movie, her fingers unconsciously working over his scalp in a sort of massage. She just couldn't get into fast car, guns, drugs and fire the way a guy could.

"That feels amazin,'" he said several minutes later. Zoe looked down to see his eyes were closed, contentment on his face. Zoe leaned down to kiss him. She had never been the overly affectionate type, but with Wade, she found a lot of her inhibitions in previous relationships were a thing of the past. Part of it was that she'd matured as she'd gotten older. But another part of it was that she was just comfortable with Wade, things felt right. "That feels amazin' too," he muttered. He reached up and tangled a hand in her hair, pulling her down so he could kiss her again.

Zoe gently moved Wade's head out of her lap and laid down beside him. He was quick to pull her close, his lips finding hers again. He let his hand creep just under the hem of her shirt, feeling her warm skin on his fingertips. When she didn't protest, he let his hand roam higher. His lips left hers and trailed along her jawbone then down her neck. He heard her sigh in contentment, felt her hands on his chest as she pulled herself still closer. Soon they were a tangled mess of limbs.

Wade heard his name fall from softly from Zoe's lip. He pulled his lips from her collarbone and looked at her, searching for any sign that he'd pushed things too far. She looked timid but still wore the faintest of smiles.

"If I went too far…," he started.

"No," Zoe cut him off. "I… We don't have to… stop."

Even with the movie still playing in the background, silence filled the room as they looked at one another. They both knew they'd reached a turning point in their relationship. They had taken a step closer to this moment each day they were together, their kisses getting more urgent, their hands getting braver. Wade had been doing everything in his power not to mess things up while Zoe had been learning to let him in. The moment had come where those two paths crossed.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He ran his thumb along her jawbone and waited for her answer. She nodded.

"I trust you," she said. He nodded, her words exactly what he needed to hear before he went any further. He kissed her once and then stood. "Where are you…?" He easily scooped her up and carried her into his bedroom, wishing desperately he'd thought to make the bed that morning.

"We're gonna do this right," he told her. Her lips found his as he laid her down on the bed.

* * *

><p>The snow was gone as fast as it came with one turn of the temperature hand, sending the freezing temperatures into the mid-50s. Zoe had managed one more snow day, but bright and early Friday morning, she was sitting in her office, the minute hand barely past 7:00. She frowned as she stared at the words and figures in front of her, willing them to magically rearrange themselves into better news. But there they were, in black and white, her worst suspicions about Earl Kinsella confirmed. She sighed deeply and rested her head in her hands.<p>

She'd delivered plenty of bad news over the course of her career. She'd signed up for that aspect of the job the moment she'd been accepted to med school. She'd lost patients on the operating room table as a surgical resident. She'd also saved patients, been able to tell families that their loved ones would be just fine. The healing and saving were the peaks of the job. The losing and bad news were the valleys. She didn't think the valley had ever been this low, however.

It was ironic, in a sick sort of way, that Harley had likely sat behind the very desk she was seated at now, mulling over Mary Ellen Kinsella's file and wondering how he was going to give her such a grim prognosis when she had so much living left to do. She knew her opinion on how much of a life Earl had before him would be very different than his own. She saw a man with a son and a daughter and two grandchildren. Earl, however, would see his chance to reunite with the love of his life, everyone else be damned.

Her thoughts drifted to Wade as she waited to see if Earl would turn up for his test results like he'd promised. She couldn't stop the faint smile that crossed her lips as she thought back over the last two days with him. Other than the occasional visit to Lavon's for food, they had spent most of the 48 hours together, at first just being and then getting to know one another on a more intimate level. She could easily put the two days high on her list of best days ever, a list that, she realized, was quickly being flooded with Bluebell moments, with and without Wade in them.

She hated that this was going to hurt him. Earl had been adamant that he didn't want anyone to know about his health issues. As his doctor, she couldn't expose him. Despite their rocky relationship, Wade would never want Earl to suffer alone and he certainly wouldn't want to be kept in the dark about his father's illness. Though she didn't know Meredith well, she didn't think she'd be okay with the situation either.

"Hello?" came Earl's voice. Zoe closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and went out to greet Earl.

"You came," she said. She thought his skin looked more jaundiced than it had just a few days earlier. She could smell the faintest stench of whiskey on him although he seemed sober.

"You told me to," he said. "You got my tests back?"

"I do," Zoe confirmed. "Come on back."

"You and my boy get through the storm okay?" Earl asked as he followed her into the exam room.

"We did. It was nice to see some snow."

"I reckon you done seen a lot of it up North." Earl heaved himself onto the exam table.

"A fair amount. Can't say I've ever seen a mob scene at the grocery story, however." Earl chuckled.

"That's just Southerners," he said. Zoe fiddled with his chart, flipping through papers she wasn't reading to buy herself some time to delivering the bad news. "So you'll be stayin' around these parts, I reckon." Zoe looked up from the chart. "I know you only 'sposed to be here a year but you gonna stick around."

"I haven't thought much about it," Zoe told him, avoiding looking at him. "I have months before I have to make that decision." About five, give or take a few weeks. She had thought about it more lately than she would admit, even to herself, and each time, she had shoved it out of her mind, promising to come back to it later – when she absolutely had to.

"I'm sayin' you gonna stay," Earl clarified as he removed his jacket. "Whether you know it yet or not." Zoe didn't respond as she focused on turning off the voice reminding her she would have a big decision to make sooner rather than later. "So, what's wrong with me, Doc? That cirrhosis thing you mentioned?" Zoe flipped back to the papers with Earl's test results.

"Well, in a word, yes," she said, easing into the worst of the news. "Earl, how long were you experiencing symptoms before you came to see me?" Earl shrugged.

"Right good while," he said. "Figured I was just real hungover 'till I figured out I won't." Zoe sighed. One of the most frustrating things to her as a doctor was seeing patients whose lifestyles were the root cause of their medical problems. Whether it was a diet of Big Macs and super-sized fries or an addiction to alcohol, they could have prevented or at least slowed down their deteriorating health by eating a few more vegetables or putting down the bottle.

"Before I delve into this, please keep in mind that I want – and still encourage – you to have more tests to confirm my diagnosis. Blood tests and what I saw on the ultrasound last week are good, but I'd like you to go to Mobile, have a CT, maybe an MRI, a few other tests to confirm…"

"I done told you, Doc, I ain't goin' to Mobile to see no doctor," Earl said, going on the defensive. Zoe sighed, knowing there was no use in arguing with him.

"Fine," she relented. "As long as you understand that the tests I'm able to do here only scrapes the surface of what could be done to help you."

"Yeah, I know," Earl said. "Quit stallin' and tell me what's wrong with me."

""Well, you do have cirrhosis of the liver," she confirmed. Earl nodded, obviously expecting the news. "But Earl, having been left untreated for so long, you've developed some rather severe complications. Your tests results show that you have Type 2 diabetes. That's not terribly uncommon in people with cirrhosis. The cirrhosis causes insulin resistance which, in most basic terms, interferes with the body's ability to break down and process sugar." Earl nodded again.

"My daddy had that," he told her.

"We can control it with daily insulin injections and a proper diet," she continued. "Depending on how things go, we may even be able to treat it without insulin injections."

"We'll talk 'bout them shots," Earl said, making it clear he was going to resist insulin injections. Zoe had no doubts as to where Wade got his stubbornness from. "What else is wrong with me?" Zoe fought the urge to look down at the chart in her hands as she delivered the worst of the news. She was supposed to be learning bedside manner and detaching herself in this moment wasn't what the people of Bluebell expected. And it certainly wasn't the way to deal with her boyfriend's father.

"There's no easy way to say this…," she started.

"Just spit it out, Doc. I can promise you this ain't gonna be the worst news I ever heard." They both knew the worst news Earl had ever received was that his wife, the love of his life, was going to die.

"Earl, you have Hepatocellular Carcinoma. It's a form of liver cancer caused by the cirrhosis. Without running further tests, I can only guess, but your levels indicate that you're pretty advanced. It's important that we start treatment right away." Earl shook his head no violently.

"I done seen what them cancer treatments do. I ain't gonna have them."

"You'll die without them," Zoe told him bluntly.

"I'll die anyway," he countered. "Ain't no use in getting' treatments that ain't gonna do nothin' but suck the life at me. I reckon I'm supposed to quit drinkin' too?"

"Immediately," Zoe confirmed. "And don't think I didn't see you head off to the liquor store when you left here the other day – right after I told you to quit drinking."

"It was closed anyway," he countered. "And I'm sorry, but I just ain't gonna quit drinkin.'"

"Why?" Zoe demanded, abandoning any hope of being a rational, practical doctor. "Why won't you put the bottle down and start taking care of yourself?"

"I done tried. Your daddy got me to try time and time again. I ain't strong enough."

"You are. Deep down, you are. It's not easy to quit something you're addicted to, but you can if you just make the decision that you're going to give it up."

"My strength left me when my wife died, Dr. Hart. Ain't had nothin' to live for since."

"What about your son?" Zoe asked. "Or your daughter? Or your beautiful grandchildren? Are they not worth living for? Because Earl, I have to tell you, your son is pretty damn incredible. I've only met your daughter a couple of times and briefly at that, but she's not someone to be ashamed of either. Your grandkids are beautiful and so full of life. So how can you sit there and tell me you have nothing to live for?"

Silence fell over the room, both of them shocked by her outburst. Maybe it was her own family history, her problems with her mother, her residual feelings of abandonment by the man she'd grown up believing to be her father, her lack of knowledge about her dead real father. Or maybe it was her relationship with Wade, knowing how much of his life, of his story, his father had affected whether Earl knew it or not. Whatever it was, Zoe didn't regret a word she'd just said and she certainly had no intentions of apologizing.

"I know they call me 'Crazy Earl,'" Earl started, breaking the silence. "I reckon I am, crazy I mean. That's what love does to you, make you crazy. Strong people – like yourself – can handle it. They might get their heart broke, shattered, even, but after you wallow around in self-pity for a while, you pull yourself up by your boot straps and get on with it. Your bootstraps might be old and worn out, but you still do it 'cause you're strong and you can.

"But then there's people like me, who somehow got lucky enough to have the prettiest girl in school fall for 'em. I don't know why Mary Ellen picked me but she did. I never got the chance to ask her. We got married and got to havin' babies and runnin' the farm and the restaurant and just got busy. Then she got sick and next thing I know, she died. Died and left me with two teenagers and a broken heart.

"I know I won't the best daddy. I didn't know how to deal with my own grief, certainly couldn't help my kids with theirs. Meredith, so much like her momma. And Wade, he's like me, stubborn and proud. But he's got his momma's eyes and if he lets you get close enough to him, he's got her heart too. I ain't sure how they turned out so good, but I'm damn proud of 'em both, even if I ain't done much to show it.

"Mary Ellen won't just the love of my life. She was my life. She was the one who kept our family together. I was just the fool lucky enough to have her. She broke my heart when she died and I ain't never been able to put it back together. Do you know how hard it is, to have a broken heart for so many long, lonely years?

"I'm tired, Doc. My kids, they'll be fine without me. Meredith has her own life and Wade, he's workin' on his - he's got you. Me? I ain't had much of a life since Mary Ellen died. And I know it's selfish of me, bein' so wrapped up in myself. But I guess that's just gonna have to make me a selfish man."

Zoe just stared at Earl, taking in his words and slowly starting to understand the complexity of what was going on in his mind, why his diagnosis was almost welcomed. She couldn't respond, even if he'd asked her to. She just knew, instinctively, perhaps, that he didn't expect her to. So instead, she nodded once and flipped the page in his chart.

"If you're – declining treatment …"

"I am," Earl interrupted.

"Ultimately, that's your decision. I can give you all the options and recommendations in the world but if you choose not to do anything, then there's nothing I can do to change your mind. I can, at least, make you comfortable." She watched Earl glance at the old watch on his wrist and knew he was getting anxious as the minute hand crept closer to the top of the hour when Brick would waltz in.

"You gonna tell me to not drink, but we've already established how I feel 'bout that. What else you got for me?"

Zoe spent the next 15 minutes quickly going over his options, still offering chemo, radiation and surgery even though she knew he would refuse it. They – Earl – settled on a few prescriptions to ease his symptoms, content to let his diagnosis kill him slowly.

"You know it's only going to get worse, right? There's going to be pain, days when you can't so much as get out of bed. And that'll be just the tip of the ice burg. You're going to get weak, fade away slowly. You can take all of these meds exactly to the letter, but sooner rather than later, it's not going to matter much."

"I know," Earl said simply. Zoe shook her head, almost in wonder. She'd never seen someone accept their fate so easily, welcome it, even.

"And Earl, please, tell Wade and Meredith. They deserve to know you're sick. They deserve to get the chance to be there – and to ultimately say goodbye."

"I'll think about it," Earl said. He shrugged his jacket back on. "We done?" Zoe nodded.

"We're done," she confirmed. "Come back and see me next week though, just to follow up." She remained in the exam room under the pretense of cleaning up. She listened to Earl's footsteps falling across the old hardwood floor and then heard the front door open only to close moments later. When she was certain she was alone in the practice, she took a seat in the chair in the corner of the exam room where she let just a few tears roll down her cheeks. Who the tears were for – Earl, Wade, Meredith, herself – she didn't know.

* * *

><p>Wade whistled as he took the steps to Zoe's carriage house two at a time, nearly losing his footing when he hit a patch of melted snow frozen over once more as the night's temperatures dropped below freezing again. He was in a good mood even though he'd been at the Rammer Jammer for fourteen hours, catching up from the two days he'd let himself stay home with Zoe. He grinned, thinking those two days were definitely worth it.<p>

"Zoe!" he called as he let himself in.

"In here!" Zoe replied even though it wasn't necessary. She was easy to find, seated in the middle of her sofa in the small house. She had her laptop out, a pen and paper by her side. The space heater was pointed directly at her, blowing on high now that the day's warmer temperatures had been replaced by the night's lows. A half a glass of wine sat on her coffee table.

"Hey," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Hey," she replied, kissing him back. "Guess what I'm doing?"

"Tryin' to figure out how to take over the world from Bluebell?" Wade asked. "Or at the very least, how to save it from invader zombies?" Zoe rolled her eyes, wondering not for the first time where Wade's preoccupation with zombies came from.

"I'm researching my family tree. The Bluebell side of it, to be exact."

"Yeah?" Wade sat down beside her. "What'd you find out.

"That Harley Wilkes lived in Bluebell," she answered wryly. "I haven't gotten very far." Wade laughed and stood up. He started working on getting a fire started.

"I still say you should check out the upstairs of the practice," he said. "Harley's stuff ain't doin' nothing but collectin' dust."

"I know," Zoe admitted. "I went up there today, actually. But I didn't have my key with me. I think I'll go in tomorrow and start going through it while Brick's not there."

"I can help if you want." Zoe shook her head.

"Not tomorrow," she said. "I kind of want the first time I go up there to be just me."

"Makes sense," Wade said. "You just tell me if you want my help." The fire caught and he returned to Zoe's side, his intentions less than pure. "I done missed you today," he said as he put an arm around her and pulled her close to him. Zoe closed her laptop and put it aside. "Havin' spent the last two days in your company, usually sans clothes." Zoe rested on his chest and sighed. He could hear something off in the breath that escaped her. "You okay?"

"Long day at the office," she said. "Really, really long day." Wade could tell she was in no mood for what he had in mind so he abandoned the thoughts he had and got comfortable on the couch. They spent most of the evening in silence, him holding Zoe and letting her work through whatever happened at the office, Zoe wishing they could just stay right there for the rest of their lives and not have to face anything the word just outside her front door had waiting for them.

* * *

><p><strong>I love Earl's character. I was pleasantly surprised with how they're portraying him on the show. I know how I want him to be in this story, but I was thrilled with how he is on the show as well. Now if only they'd get rid of Judson already...<strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	19. The House That Built Me

**Please blame FF for the delay in posting this - I couldn't log in for 2 days. Go figure. **

**This is my favorite chapter to date. I highly encourage you to at least look at the lyrics of the song that inspired this - "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert - if you aren't familiar with it. I won't share why this chapter is my favorite so as not to run the risk of spoiling anything to come, but there are a few lines/moments throughout that will eventually be something bigger.**

**Thank you to all of you for being so wonderful and reading and reviewing. I do my best to get back to you, but with my real life schedule, that doesn't always happen. Please know that I so appreciate you! **

**THINGS I OWN: A bunch of Martha Stewart's new office supply line. Best day ever when I discovered that. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>The dust on the stairs muffled her footsteps as she climbed towards the locked door at the top. She was nervous. She didn't know what she would find, what she would learn about her father and her own past, a past she hadn't known existed until a few short months ago. What if it was riddled with scandal or she uncovered some deep, dark secret? Although, she reasoned, <em>she<em> was his scandal, his deep dark secret.

She paused outside the door, the key to unlock it in her hand. The practice below her was quiet, no patients filling the waiting room with coughs and wailing babies, no Brick jockeying for her appointments or Addie making small talk about the weather or sharing the latest gossip. She had never really appreciated how big and grand the old home-turned-medical-practice was as she looked down on it from the top of the stairs. With a deep breath of courage, she fitted the key into the lock and turned it. The door swung open and she paused in the door frame.

The smell was the first thing she noticed. It had the same stale scent as old library books that hadn't been taken from their shelves and opened in ages. The apartment itself warranted the same sort of silence a strict librarian requested amongst her shelves. It was also chilly from being closed up tight for so long. She left the door open to let heat creep up the stairs and took several tentative steps inside.

A thick layer of dust coated everything – the floor, the furniture, the windowpanes. Her steps disturbed it, creating small puffs each time her foot landed. Her nose started tingling and she sneezed violently. She turned and looked back at the door, wanting to take in every detail. A narrow table sat in the small entryway, empty except for a small woven bowl with knickknacks dropped in it and a book. On the opposite wall was a small coat closet.

She wandered back to the table and found the book was actually a well-worn Bible with 'Harley Wilkes' embossed on the front. She picked it up and blew the dust off it before opening the yellowing pages. It fell open to the place that had been bookmarked one of the last time his hands had touched it. Several lines were underlined with a red pen, notes made in the margins. She read the verse:

_"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children." – Deuteronomy 4:9_

Zoe's eyes trailed to the margin where written in one neat word was her name – 'Zoe.' She frowned and re-read the scripture, the words resonating now. Harley had always meant – or at least hoped – for her to come to Bluebell, to take over the practice. In his perfect world, she imagined, they would have worked side by side, him teaching her everything he knew about Bluebell, its people, his patients, before handing her the reins, much like she had envisioned working alongside her heart surgeon father throughout her childhood and even a year ago.

She flipped through the Bible, realizing most of the pages contained underlined verses and notes. Inside the front cover was a brief inscription – the Bible had been presented to him on the day he'd been baptized, June 3, 1971. She picked up the bookmark to replace it, her finger having held the spot it had originally been. She read the words on it: _A Bible falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't._ She wasn't religious and considered herself half Jewish but the words comforted her because, she assumed, they had once comforted Harley. She returned the bookmark to its place between the thing pages.

Where the Bible had been was a dust-free square. She put it back in the same place and moved to examine the basket of knickknacks. With a pang, she realized it must have been Harley's catch-all basket. It was full of items found in people's pockets – spare change, an old container of Tic-Tacs, a couple of crumbled receipt, a set of keys that Zoe thought were to the practice. In her mind, she saw him come through the door, set his Bible on the table and empty his pockets before moving into the rest of the apartment. She moved over to the coat closet and pulled it on open.

The stench of staleness was stronger, mixing now with moth balls. A few of Harley's coats hung limp with dust. On the shelf above them were odds and ends, things Harley probably didn't have a place for. There was a spare medicine bag and an old, tattered briefcase, what looked like a bowling ball bag and even a pair of light hand weights. The floor was bare, save for a single pair of brown, dusty loafers. A bag of golf clubs were propped in the corner. She shut the door and ventured into the rest of the apartment. She tried a light, but none cut on. Brick must have had the power shut off to the upstairs of the practice to save on the energy bill.

It was more spacious than she had expected it to be, spanning the full size of the building. In her mind, she had pictured it as a compartment of sorts, maybe half the size of the practice below. It had hardwood floors throughout that beneath the dust, looked to be in good condition. The windows were big but few, probably a result of the home being so old. With a good cleaning, they would probably let in enough light during the day. She used her sleeve to wipe a clean circle in the glass. She could see the lake in the distance. She liked that.

The living room was a big, open room, furnished with a sofa and two arm chairs, all dated in style, probably fashionable twenty or so years earlier. A box of a TV with a set of rabbit ears was situated so there was a good view from any point in the living room. The coffee table in the middle of it was scattered with medical journals, some dated more than two years earlier. One was open and Zoe wondered if Harley had been reading it shortly before he passed. She realized she didn't know where he had died or any details surrounding his death other than he'd died of a heart condition. She'd have to find out what she could, maybe even bite the bullet and ask Brick.

The kitchen was a decent size, not too big, not too small. The appliances were old and the tile was cracked near the oven. An old microwave with an actual dial instead of digital buttons sat on a counter next to a yellowed coffee pot and a small, two-slice toaster.

She tried the water but wasn't surprised when it didn't flow from the faucet. A juice glass sat upside down in the drying rack, left there by someone expecting to come back to put it away later. She opened cabinets and drawers, finding dishes and utensils, pots and pans. With some hesitation, she opened the fridge and was glad to see someone had had the foresight to clean it out. Other than some canned and dry goods in a pantry, it was devoid of anything that would have expired in the time since Harley's death.

There were two bedrooms, she discovered. The first had a full-sized bed and a dresser, but it looked like Harley had used it for storage. It was full of clothes and boxes, even an old exercise bike. She found herself itching to dig through it, to at least clear a path to the closet that was blocked by closed up boxes and see what was inside. Instead, she left and peeked into a moderately sized bathroom – with a garden tub, she observed – and entered Harley's bedroom.

She instantly felt a connection to the room. Maybe it was how much of Harley, more so than any other room, was still there or maybe it was the charm of the room, save for old-fashioned décor. His bed was made, draped in an old quilt. Photos littered his dresser. She'd noticed photos throughout the house, but hadn't taken the time to peer at them. Now, she bent over to see them.

She didn't recognize anyone in the photos – she didn't expect to – but if they were displayed in a frame in his bedroom, they had to be people who were important to him and, therefore, important to her. There was a woman with a kind face, a man who wore a scowl but had a twinkle in his eye, groups of people, laughing and smiling at the camera.

With a promise that she'd return for a closer look, she ventured back into the apartment and tried a door at the end of a short hallway. It was a small office that overlooked the town square. It was full of medical books and journals, old Bluebell newspapers and more photos. Zoe knew it was the room she would either dive into first or save for last as it would likely be the one she learned the most about Harley in.

"Where do I start?" she asked herself out loud. Now that she was here, it seemed like an impossibly large task.

After a moment's debate, she decided on the kitchen, the least personal place in the apartment. It would be a good way to ease into things. She pushed up the sleeves of the old sweatshirt she was wearing and pried open a window to air the place out some. Then, not sure what she'd do with everything, started pulling things from cabinets and stacking them neatly on the counter.

* * *

><p>Wade pulled to a stop in front of his childhood home. Like every time he stopped by, he sat in his car for a minute and just observed. The two story farmhouse, once a crisp white with sharp navy shudders, rocking chairs situated on the front porch and whatever flowers were in season planted along its front, was now peeling paint and missing shutters. Another one had fallen off since Wade had last been there a month or so ago and was laying discarded in the yard. It needed a new roof and it looked like one side of the porch was starting to sag. Earl's old Chevy truck sat on four flat tires off to the side, the keys long ago confiscated by Wade, the truck, which had been on its last leg anyway, left to rust.<p>

He'd tried to keep up with the repairs for a long time, but as the years had progressed, keeping up with Earl had taken priority and now he just did whatever he needed to make sure the place didn't fall in. It looked like he'd be out there sooner rather than later doing another round of repairs, stabilizing the porch and patching the roof where it needed it the most.

He got out of his car and headed to the house, wearing blinders to how overgrown and abandoned the fields surrounding the place were after years of neglect. He could remember when they were filled with plumes of cotton and the soft green of uniformed rows of soybean. He climbed the stairs, careful to avoid a loose step halfway up. He didn't bother knocking as he pulled the rickety screen door open and then pushed through thick wooden door behind it.

"Earl?" he called. He heard Earl's grunt in reply and tracked him down to the kitchen. He was seated at the old kitchen table, a bottle of whiskey just open, his glass sitting by him, still full of the amber liquid. Wade had timed his visit so he got Earl as sober as he'd be all day. It looked like he'd time it just right.

"What are you doin' here?" Earl asked.

Wade frowned as he took in his father. It had been a few weeks since he'd seen him last, a fact that probably should have made him ashamed of himself since they lived in the same town and just a fifteen minute drive apart, but he thought the man looked especially tired. His skin had an odd color, a sort of yellow-tinted green, and his beer belly was bigger than ever. Wade chalked it up to how much drinking the man did.

"February 1st was a few days ago. You didn't make your monthly appearance on the hardware store roof – ain't for the last few month, matter of fact. I figured it was 'bout time I came out here and made sure you won't dead." A flicker of something crossed Earl's face, but Wade didn't pay him much mind. "Here, brought you some food from the Rammer Jammer." He slid the takeout container across the table.

"Thanks," Earl said, catching it. He opened it and found an assortment of breakfast foods, whatever had been left over after breakfast had been served. He picked up a piece of bacon. "You can sit down, you know," he told Wade.

"Ain't plannin' on stayin' that long," Wade answered. He walked over to the sink which was full of dirty dishes that were starting to smell. "Throwin' these out might be easier then cleaning 'em up."

"Don't go throwin' away your momma's china," Earl countered, an edge creeping into his voice.

"Momma's china won't meant to be used every day, let alone left in the sink dirty for days." A trickle of water ran from the base of the faucet. Wade turned the knob and as water fell from the head, the trickle at the base turned into a steady stream. He turned it off. "Did you know this was leakin'?"

"Thought it might be."

Wade squatted and opened the cabinet underneath the sink. Using his bare hand, he managed to tighten up a gasket that had loosened. He checked and the trickle had stopped. He left Earl in the kitchen and headed upstairs, noticing he bannister was dangerously loose. He'd have to fix that too although he didn't think Earl made it upstairs much, passing out on the couch or at the kitchen table most nights.

He bypassed his childhood room, mostly empty save for a bed and empty dresser, and went into the room that had been Meredith's. As he'd expected, a large, brown circle had formed in the ceiling. The twin bed, nothing now but a saggy old mattress and worn frame, was soaking wet from the melted snow that had dripped through the worn roof. He'd hoped to wait until spring before he had to climb the roof, but he'd have to do it sooner rather than later. Deciding there wasn't much he could do right then, he headed back downstairs.

"One good gust of wind and this place'll be on the ground," he said as he walked back into the kitchen. "You done let it go past the point of repair."

"The house is just fine," Earl said. Wade just shook his head and watched his father wash down fried potatoes with a long swig of whiskey. Earl winced and let out a grunt as he sat down his glass, his hand going to massage his stomach.

"You alright?" Wade asked.

"I'm fine, nothin' to worry 'bout." Earl picked up his fork again and continued eating. "Where's your girlfriend?"

"She's busy," Wade answered. "Can't say I'd bring a girl here anyway."

"I like her," Earl said simply.

"Yeah, well, I like her too."

"I suspect you might do a little more than like her," Earl replied. "Suspect she might do a little more than like you too."

"We'll see what happens," Wade said, not wanting to discuss his relationship with his father. Earl finished off his glass of whiskey and poured another. Wade suddenly wanted to be anywhere else. "I'm headin' out. I'll see you when I see you." He turned to leave. He was nearly to the front door when he heard Earl trailing behind him. He turned to him. "What is it this time?" he asked. "It's too early in the month for you to need money."

"Just thought I'd see you out," Earl said. Wade noticed then how slow his father was moving. His skin looked even more oddly colored in the natural light pouring in through the windows in the front of the house. It worried him more than he cared to admit.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Just fine. Little tired is all."

The two Kinsella men stepped out on the porch. Wade was suspicious. Earl rarely bid him farewell when he dropped by, let alone walked him out. "That car of yours sure is lookin' good." Earl nodded towards Wade's Camaro which was in desperate need of a wash after driving around the brine-covered roads of Bluebell the last few days.

"I take care of it," Wade said with a shrug. "Holler if you need anything, okay?"

"I will," Earl answered.

Wade got into his car and cranked it up, watching his father lean on the rotting porch railing for support. He didn't buy that Earl was okay, but then again, he reasoned, when a person single-handedly kept the liquor store in business, it was probably nothing shy of a miracle they'd lived as long as Earl had.

He backed out of the driveway and debated on what he wanted to do. He had to be back at the Rammer Jammer after dinner to help close up after telling Shelley she could leave early for a date, but he had some time to kill. He wanted to head over to the practice and see if Zoe needed any help with Harley's things, but she'd distinctly asked to make her first visit on her own so he'd have to leave her be. It was too cold to go fishing and Lavon was off somewhere with Didi so he couldn't challenge him to a rematch of Madden.

He made a decision on a whim and turned his car in the right direction.

* * *

><p>It had been a long time since he'd been there and he remembered why as he maneuvered between the cold stones, each engraved with a name of someone who had been a mother or a father, a son or a daughter, a set of dates marking their entrance and departure etched below it, maybe a quote or verse if the person was loved enough. It was depressing, being amongst cold stones and dead bodies six feet below him.<p>

It was colder here, the trees shading the place, a few clumps of snow clinging to the bases of trees and around some of the stones. Even though it had been years since he'd stopped by the graveyard and there were many more tombstones added since, he knew exactly where his mother's gravesite would be. He stopped when he reached her marble stone, unsure of what to do next.

Some people talked to their loved ones. Others cried silently. Some wept openly. He knew Zoe talked to Harley, that she visited the graveyard regularly, gave him updates on the practice and her life. He wondered what Harley would think of him dating his little girl. He hoped Harley would have approved, that he would have been able to see how crazy about Zoe he was and how he'd do just about anything to make her happy.

That led him to wonder what his mother would think of Zoe. He was pretty sure she would have liked her, especially when she seen how happy Zoe made him. In his mind, his mother would have welcomed Zoe to Bluebell despite her being from New York. She probably would have seen right past Zoe's brave front and gone out of her way to make Zoe feel welcomed. She probably would have had his hide for the way he teased Zoe, how he dragged his feet getting up the courage to ask her out.

His mind started down a road he didn't allow it to go down often. A road of 'what ifs' and 'what might have beens' had his mother never gotten sick. He'd have made a lot of different decisions, been in a whole different place. Earl would have been a better father and Meredith's kids would have had two sets of grandparents instead of one set and a grandpa they only got to see on visits timed according to how sober he was.

But life had worked out how it was supposed to, he guessed. If Harley hadn't found his mother's cancer all those years ago, he probably wouldn't have be with Zoe now. It was a long and complicated path with a lot of twists and turns, but he was where he was supposed to be. He nodded in an affectionate way at his mother's gravestone and turned towards his car. Harley's tombstone caught his eye as he maneuvered through the stones once more.

"Hell of a daughter you've got there," he told the piece of granite. He climbed back into his car and headed towards the plantation, thinking up several chores he could bury his busy mind in before he had to head back to the Rammer Jammer.

* * *

><p>"I think I liked the red one better," Zoe said, eyeing Lavon's royal purple shirt critically.<p>

"Seriously?" Lavon asked, looking down at his shirt. "You don't like this one?"

"You kind of look like Barney."

"Well what about the blue one? Did you like the blue one?"

"The blue one was fine. But you wear blue all the time. Mix it up. Put on the red one. Look snazzy." Lavon raised an eyebrow.

"Snazzy?" he asked.

"Fashionable?" Zoe tried. "Um, sharp? Every girl's crazy about a sharp dressed man…"

"You're really bad at this," Lavon informed her, undoing the buttons on his shirt. "And here I thought you being all fashion forward and such, you'd have some good advice." He reached for another one of the button downs he had laying across his sofa and pulled it on over his white undershirt.

"Don't even bother buttoning that one up," Zoe told him. "Pink is not your color." Lavon yanked the shirt off and went for yet another one. "What are you so nervous about, anyway? Didi's parents are going to love you. It's not every day you get to tell people your daughter is dating a former professional football star."

"Her daddy went to Auburn," Lavon informed her. "Her cousin was a wide receiver for the Tigers when I was playing for Bama. I intercepted a pass to him and ran it back for a touchdown in my last Iron Bowl. It turned out to be the game winning touchdown. According to Didi, she's the only one in my family who has forgiven me for that."

"And you're going to win him over by wearing an appropriately colored shirt?" Zoe asked.

"Yes," Lavon confirmed. "Which is why I can't wear the red one – too crimson. I'm also taking them to Fancy's and encouraging them to order whatever the want and as much of it as they'd like. Even had champagne shipped in special." He held out his arms for Zoe's thoughts on his latest shirt.

"Brown? Also not your color. The pink was better than that."

"You are no help. No help at all." Zoe opened her mouth to retort but Wade came breezing into the kitchen from somewhere outside just then.

"Hey, yo," he said to Lavon, doing one of their many hand gestures in greeting, this one a weird sort of across the room air handshake. "Hey, darlin,'" he said to Zoe, leaning down to kiss her quickly. "What's this? A fashion show?" He leaned on the counter next to where Zoe was seated and took in the number of shirts scattered around the living room as Lavon, dressed in black slacks, an undershirt, and shoes so shiny he could see his reflection, stood with his hands on his hips, surveying them critically.

"Lavon is having dinner with Didi's parents tonight," Zoe told him. "Apparently it is of the utmost importance that he wears the proper color of shirt." She watched Lavon pick up a black button down. "I told you, Lavon, wear the red one."

"He can't wear a red shirt," Wade interjected. "Too crimson. Didi's cousin was Jackson Martin, played wide receiver for Auburn. Lavon intercepted a pass intended for him…"

"And ran it back for a touchdown that turned out to be the game winning score," Zoe finished. "I heard. You know, for someone who claims not to like football, you sure know a lot about it." Lavon frowned, listening to their exchange as he tried to decide which shirt to try next.

"That play solidified Lavon's hero status in this town," Wade countered. "Probably boosted his draft stock as well. You'd have to live under the biggest rock in all of Bluebell not to know about it." Lavon rolled his eyes and buttoned up the blue shirt he'd decided he was going to wear whether Zoe approved or not.

"Blue?" she asked. "We discussed this."

"Ain't nothing wrong with blue," Lavon countered.

"He always wears blue," Wade told Zoe. "It works for him."

"Thank you, Wade." Lavon gave Zoe a pointed look. She rolled her eyes. They didn't get it. But she accepted that she'd lost the red shirt battle. "I'm off to what could be my funeral. You two enjoy your evening and if I don't come back, tell the good people of Bluebell I am against Delia Ann taking my place."

"We'll fight to the death to prevent that from happening," Zoe said with a mock salute.

"Yeah, somethin' tells me she wouldn't be too fond of my playin' Modern Warfare in her doily-covered living room," Wade agreed. Lavon laughed.

"Good luck," Zoe told him. "Don't be the first to bring up football."

"And when it does come up – and it will – try not to brag too much," Wade added. "They may not like that."

"Lavon Hayes does not brag," Lavon countered.

"Lavon Hayes still puts his old Carolina Panthers uniform on and walks around his office," Wade retorted.

"I'm gonna remember this the next time Zoe's mom comes to town."

"She loves Wade," Zoe interjected. "Something about protecting her daughter from drug dealers."

"Yeah. I've got an in," Wade said seriously. Lavon shook his head and left, leaving the two laughing in his kitchen. "Hey," Wade said to Zoe, leaning in to kiss her the way he'd wanted to when he'd walked in the kitchen.

"Hey," she replied back just before his lips met hers for a nice, long kiss. "How long do I have you for before you head back to the Rammer Jammer?" Zoe asked when they pulled away.

"Not long," Wade said. "I reckon I got enough time to eat something real quick before I head back." He went to the fridge and started rummaging for something to make a sandwich out of. "How was your day?"

"It was…" Zoe searched for the right word. "Weird."

"Weird? How?"

"Going into Harley's apartment was like walking into a time warp. There was this table by the door – it looked like he'd just came in from church or Bible study or something, dropped his Bible on the table, emptied his pockets. There was a juice glass in the drying rack of his sink and a medical journey was open to an article on flu vaccinations. It was like everything was there waiting for him to come home."

"I know what you mean," Wade said. He opened a jar of mayonnaise and dipped a butter knife inside. "That was the hardest part after Momma died, seein' all of her things and knowin' she'd never come back to them. A few days after her funeral, Meredith was foldin' some laundry and came across one of Momma's old shirts. She cried the rest of the night."

"I can't imagine," Zoe said. It was hard enough for her to go through the things of a father she'd never known. She couldn't fathom would it would have been like to be faced with all of his things if she had years of memories to go with them. Wade joined her at the bar with his sandwich.

"The day after that I was havin' a hard time with some math homework. I took it into the kitchen so Momma could help me before I remembered she was gone. Me and Meredith packed up most of her clothes and things after that. Dad didn't fight us too much."

"He didn't? He still loves her so much, even after all these years."

"He was already in the bottle. We kept a lot of her jewelry, her china, stuff like that. Meredith's got a lot of her jewelry. Probably should've taken the China too, seein' as most of it is currently piled in the sink with days of dried food on it." Wade looked at Zoe while he chewed a bite of sandwich, a thought occurring to him. "Say, Doc, what would make a person's skin real yellow?"

"Yellow?" Zoe asked cautiously. She had a feeling Wade had crossed paths with Earl.

"Well, not so much yellow as like a yellowish green," Wade corrected. He bit into his sandwich again.

"It could be a number of things. Jaundice, for instance. It's common in newborns due to excess bilirubin in the blood."

"What about an adult?"

"Why all the questions?" Zoe countered. She wanted to know what she was walking into before she started answering. Wade sighed.

"I went out to check on Earl today," he said. "I figured it'd be a good idea to make sure he won't dead or nothin' since he didn't show up in town on the first of the month. He just didn't look right, all yellow and stuff. I don't know. Didn't think it was normal."

"It's not," Zoe said, already feeling herself toeing the line between what she could tell Wade and what she couldn't. "It could be any number of things. He should probably stop drinking for starters, see if that helps anything."

"Good luck with that," Wade muttered. Zoe silently agreed. She watched Wade, noticing he'd gone from devouring his food to picking at it. She reached out and put her hand on his arm.

"You okay?" she asked. Wade hesitated before turning to Zoe.

"When I left today, Earl followed me outside, tried making small talk about my car. He usually don't even tell me bye. He looked real bad. I don't know. Just been thinkin' about it a lot, I guess." Zoe did the only thing she could think to do besides spill everything she knew about Earl's condition. She slipped off her stool.

"Hey," she said, sliding an arm around Wade. "Come here." She wrapped her other arm around him and hugged him. She could feel how tense he was, trying to decide if he was going to play it off like Earl's appearance wasn't bothering him or if he was going to let Zoe see that he was worried. After several moments, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Zoe. The selfish part of her needed his comfort as much as he needed hers. She absolutely hated not being able to just tell him everything she knew.

"I should finish this before I have to go," he said, pulling away reluctantly. Zoe returned to her stool.

"So remember that time you sat on my porch with me and told me I should give my mom a chance?" she asked him.

"Thanksgiving, yeah."

"Well… Have you considered taking you own advice? Maybe talking to your dad, salvaging your relationship?" She gave Wade what she hoped was a hopeful, convincing smile. He shook his head.

"There's too much water under the bridge for that," he said. "I mean, I don't want anything to happen to the old man or nothin' but we ain't exactly gonna go on father-son camping trips neither."

"He is your dad though," Zoe pointed out. "Speaking as the girl with all sorts of daddy issues, I highly recommend addressing them." Wade sighed.

"Zoe, I know you mean well, but it ain't gonna happen." She could tell by the tone in his voice that he didn't want to discuss it any further. She knew she had to let it go, at least for now.

"Let's deal with my latest dad issue then," she said. "What do I do with Harley's stuff? I'll obviously keep some things, like his Bible and photos, but what do I do with is clothes? His shoes, his kitchen stuff, his furniture? I only managed to go through his kitchen today. Who knew a man who lived alone needed so many pots and pans?"

"Donate it to the church," Wade advised. "They're always having swap meets and fundraisers or donating stuff to shelters and missions. I can help you haul whatever over there." Zoe nodded.

"Okay," she said. "That seems like a suitable suggestion. He was a big part of Bluebell. It only makes sense that his stuff should go to Bluebell."

"Well, there's your latest dad issue solved," Wade said. He leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Want to come with me to the Rammer Jammer? I'll pour you all wine you want and let you boss people around." Zoe considered. She was tempted, but it had been a long day.

"I think I'll pass," she said. "I bought some of Harley's old medical journals home with me. I'll probably read bad medical advice from 2007 until I fall asleep."

"Sounds excitin,'" Wade said.

"Very," Zoe confirmed. "But I won't stop you if you choose to come sleep at my place when you're done."

"I might just take you up on that, Dr. Hart," Wade said. He gave her a suggestive wink. "Come on. I'll at least drive you to the carriage house on my way out."

* * *

><p>"Evenin,' Tucker," Wade said as George took a seat at the bar. "Got your Save the Date card the other day. You've got what, five, six months to back out of this?" George rolled his eyes.<p>

"You laugh now, but one of these days, I'm going to be getting your own Save the Date card out of my mailbox," he said.

"You got a while before that happens," Wade countered. He was just figuring out how to be a boyfriend. He certainly wasn't thinking about things like Save the Date cards and wedding invitations. "Want a beer?" George shook his head.

"I actually need to talk to you. You weren't here when I dropped by at lunch, but Shelley said you'd be back. Can we go back to your office?" Wade was instantly suspicious. He jerked his head for George to follow him back to the office. Inside, George took a seat and pulled out the piece of paper he'd made a few notes on from the inside pocket of his jacket. Wade shut the door, instinctively knowing they were about to have a discussion he didn't want overhead, before moving to perch on the desk.

"What's going on, Tucker?"

"I finally got some movement on your case." Wade was all ears. "The good news is that pending a hearing, everything should go through without too much of a problem."

"The bad news?" Wade asked, hesitant to get too excited about the good news until he knew the whole picture. He'd been let down before.

"The bad news is, the hearing isn't until the end of May. I did what I could to get it moved up, but May was the best I could do. Considering they initially had you down for August, I'd take it."

"What's the hearin' about?"

"It's all pretty routine. They'll just ask a few questions, look over the case. Once everything is confirmed, we can sign some papers and all of this is finally behind us. Should be pretty open and shut." Wade let out a relieved sigh.

"Three more months," he said.

"Three more," George confirmed. "We'll have to go up to Birmingham for the hearing though. I figure we can drive up there the afternoon before, get a hotel room for the night." Wade nodded in agreement, thinking. A certain brunette's face kept popping into the forefront of his mind.

"I should tell Zoe," he said, more to himself than to George.

"You should," George agreed. "But are you?" Wade pursed his lips.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I know I should, but things are going so well. I don't want to mess it up." He didn't add that come May, Zoe would likely know whether she got her fellowship which would ultimately determine the direction of their relationship. He liked to overlook that fact as much as he could, at least for the time being.

"It'd be better to tell her yourself, now, rather than it come out on its own," George advised.

"I'll think about it," was the best Wade could offer him. There was a knock on his door and then it opened. William, his bartender, was standing on the other side.

"Sorry to interrupt, boss, but the Jolton brothers are at it again," he said. "Might need some help getting them out of here."

"Be right there," Wade told him, already moving towards the door.

"Those Jolton boys are always fighting about something," George commented, standing to follow Wade out.

"Yeah," Wade agreed. "They're downright wild." He stopped before pushing through the door that opened into the bar and offered George his hand. "Thanks for all your help, Tucker." George shook his hand.

"I told you I'd figure this out," he said. "I just wish it didn't take me so long."

"It is what it is," Wade said. "And it's almost over. The sound of a bar stool hitting the floor made its way to their ears. "Guess I better go save my bar," pushing open the door. He glanced at the clock on the wall as he passed.

Three hours and he could lock the door and head back to the plantation, climb into bed beside Zoe who would probably be fast asleep. After being forced to think about too many things he liked to keep buried in the back of his mind, he wanted nothing more as he pulled Brice Jolton off his brother than to feel his girlfriend's warm body curled up next to his. She was more comfort to him than she could ever know.

* * *

><p><strong>Harley's post is kind of magical in my mind. But I have an affinity for all things old and traditional. :) <strong>

**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**


	20. Ghost

**Two updates in the same week? You betcha! This is one of the chapters I've head written out in my head for a long while so when it came time to actually write it down, it just flowered out. There's going to be a lot of chapters that I've been looking forward to writing coming up soon. :) **

**I can't believe I have more than 400 reviews on this story. It just blows my mind. Thank you all so very, very much. I adore you. :) **

**The song for this chapter is "Ghost" by Jake Owen. It's quite the well-written tune and appropriate for the subject matter of this chapter. Also, I borrowed one of my favorite Grey's Anatomy scenes for a part of this chapter - I don't own that either, just love that particular speech from Derek and could see Wade making something similar. Even though he didn't live up to it.  
><strong>

**THINGS I OWN: Ruffly new bedding that I am obsessed with. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>The clocked had stopped. That was the only logical explanation Zoe could come up with as to why it was only 4:00. Except it seemed the clock on her iPhone was also stuck at 4:00. 4:01 now, to be exact. She had blown past boredom about an hour ago and had now reached stir crazy. She had no idea where Brick was but was sure he had to be as bored as she was.<p>

It was bad karma to wish ill on anyone, but right then, she was struggling to stop herself from willing one of Bluebell's fine residents to come walking through the doors of the practice. In a perfect world, they'd be bleeding, but at this rate, she'd be willing to take a runny nose even. Anything would be better than an empty waiting room and an hour left of the work day. She'd just have to beat Brick to them when they showed up.

The office door opened and shut but before she could get her hopes up good, Lemon Breeland's voice rang out.

"Daddy?"

"Man," Zoe muttered, trying to return her attention to some bookkeeping that needed to be done. She tried to drown out the tap of Lemon's high heels and the excessive number of times she called for her father, but couldn't. She stood and went out into the waiting area. "What do you need, Lemon?" she asked, trying to be polite. Lemon gave her a somewhat reproachful look, probably, Zoe reasoned, because she was wearing a dress with no tights – in February.

"I am looking for my daddy," Lemon said in the short manner she seemed to use just for Zoe. She looked like she was fighting off tears. "Have you seen him?"

"No," Zoe said, her eyes falling on Lemon's hand which she was cradling against her. It was wrapped in thick white gauze, a few specks of red bleeding through. "What did you do to your hand?"

"That's none of your business. If you haven't seen my daddy…"

"Brick left," came Addie's voice. She returned from the basement where they kept most of their supplies, her arms laden with bandages, medicines and supplies. "Said Dr. Hart could handle any patients that might come in." Zoe scoffed.

"He always bails early!" she complained. It was true. At the first sign of a slow afternoon, Brick bolted for the door the first chance he got, leaving her to hold down the practice until closing time. It didn't make sense for someone who was still determined to get the practice to themselves, despite Zoe's ever increasing patient list.

"Did he happen to say where he was going?" Lemon asked. She pulled her bandaged hand closer to her.

"No. And I didn't ask," Addie said pointedly. Lemon had a habit of making her out to be Brick's personal assistant and she wasn't having it.

"But it's an emergency!" Lemon whined. Zoe noticed more red on Lemon's bandage.

"Lemon, I think you should let me take a look at your hand," she said. Lemon looked at her like she'd sprouted a second head.

"I think not."

"You're obviously hurt. You're bleeding. And your dad? Nowhere around. So you can either waste time trying to hunt him down, all the while continuing to bleed and risking infection, or you can let me take a look and bandage you up right now."

Lemon shook her head. "I'll go find my daddy," she said.

"Did I mention it's your left hand? The same left hand you wear and engagement ring on and will soon be putting a wedding band on in front of all of Bluebell? If infection happened to set in, it could be a real mess, take weeks and weeks to heal." Zoe smiled sweetly. "If it got bad enough, you could even risk having it amputated."

That did the trick, just as Zoe expected it would. Even if they both knew amputation was highly unlikely, Lemon still wasn't willing to risk having the featured hand of her wedding look anything less than perfect. She watched Lemon slowly resign herself to letting Zoe treat her. Finally, the blond sighed dramatically.

"Fine," she said. "But just because I don't know where Daddy is and I don't have time to run all around Bluebell trying to find him. I've got to finish my preliminary seating chart before dinner. But Dr. Hart, if you mess me up, I'll have your license to practice medicine faster than you can book a flight back to New York!" Lemon turned on her heel and headed into the closest exam room. Zoe looked at Addie.

"Would it be wrong of me to slip her a sedative instead of a pain killer?" she asked.

"I won't tell," Addie replied. They exchanged an amused smile before Zoe joined Lemon in the exam room. Lemon had already unwrapped her hand but was holding a wad of gauze to it to control the bleeding.

"So how did you hurt yourself?"

"I was trying to choose a place setting for my bridal shower and accidentally knocked a wine glass to the floor. I cut my hand while I was cleaning it up," Lemon asked. Zoe reached for her hand, starting the process of cleaning it up so she could see if she needed stitches.

"Why were you choosing settings for your bridal shower?" she asked. "Isn't the maid of honor or whoever supposed to take care of all of that?" She felt Lemon tense.

"It has to be perfect," she informed Zoe. "I can't let just anybody organize one of the most important events of my life. " Zoe refrained from rolling her eyes with difficulty. Of course Lemon would think of a bridal shower as one of the most important days in her life.

"You're going to need stiches," Zoe told her. "Just a few, but the cut is pretty deep." Lemon swallowed. She wasn't entirely comfortable with needles, let alone with Dr. Hart being the one in charge of it.

"Do what you have to do," she said.

For several minutes, Lemon allowed Zoe to work in silence as she finished cleaning the area and numbed it. Just as she started with the first stitch, Lemon started talking in an effort to keep her nerves at bay.

"So it seems like things are going well with you and Wade," she said.

"They are," Zoe replied, focused on her work.

"He's a good guy," Lemon continued. "He might be a little rough around the edges, but he's got a good heart. He was one of George's best friends growing up. I guess he still is in a roundabout sort of way. He was one of my best friends, come to think of it." Zoe raised an eyebrow. She couldn't see Wade and Lemon as friends at all, let alone good friends.

"He's one of the best guys I've met, that's for sure," she commented, thinking back to some of the men she'd encountered in New York. For some reason, that made Lemon snort in an amused sort of way.

"Well I have heard the men up north aren't nearly as charming as the men down here." Zoe had to grin as she worked.

"They aren't," she confirmed. "They aren't all bad, of course, but Southerners still think chivalry is alive and well. I haven't opened a door for myself in the presence of a man since the moment I set foot here."

"And the only time you will is if his momma raised him in a barn," Lemon said indignantly.

"All done," Zoe announced, stepping away from her work. "You'll have some soreness for a few days, but a couple of Tylenol should help. Just keep it clean and come back in a week to have the stitches removed. Or I'm sure Brick can take care of it in the comfort of your kitchen. You should have little if any scarring." Lemon inspected Zoe's work.

"Your stiches are so tiny and neat," she commented. She hopped off the exam table and gathered her purse and the light jacket she'd shed. "Daddy is a great doctor, but his stich work… Well, he is a man."

"I'm a trained surgeon," Zoe reminded her. "People don't want bad stitching when you're working on their vital organs."

"I guess you're right," Lemon agreed, surveying her hand once more. She looked up and Zoe. "I like your earrings, by the way." Zoe reached up and felt the Tiffany earrings she'd received from her mother as a graduation gift, a pair she wore frequently as they were simple and classic.

"Thanks," she replied, confused by Lemon's sudden – niceness. "They were a gift from my mom."

"Well they sure are darling." Lemon headed for the door but stopped just before she pulled it open while she still had Zoe to herself in the exam room. "Don't hurt Wade," she said. "He's had enough heartache in his life. And um, thank you, Dr. Hart." With that, she left the practice, leaving Zoe to join Addie in the reception area, feeling stunned.

"I'm not sure, but I think – I think – Lemon Breeland just paid me a compliment. Twice."

"Two times?" Addie asked in disbelief. Zoe nodded.

"Weird, right?"

"Weird? I'd say hell has frozen over."

"She told me I did a good job with her stiches. And complimented my earrings. I'm not sure which is stranger- her complimenting my medical skills or my fashion sense. Those are her favorite things to complain about where I'm concerned."

"That's a tough call," Addie agreed.

"And she warned me not break Wade's heart. Addie, I think I need a drink."

"Well it is quitting time," Addie replied. "And I think you might just have an in with town's favorite bartender." Zoe grinned.

"I think I might," she agreed.

* * *

><p>"Think Lavon will notice we left early?" Zoe asked Wade as they walked through the town square, her arm linked with his.<p>

"Nah. He's too busy tryin' to play Mayor and boyfriend at the same time," Wade answered. "Besides, he can't fault a guy for wantin' some alone time with his girl on Valentine's Day." Zoe grinned.

"Alone time, huh?" she asked. "What did you have in mind?" Wade stopped and pulled her to him.

"Why Dr. Hart, I think you already know." He leaned in to kiss her and with most of Bluebell still at the Sweetie Pie Dance and not around to catch them, things quickly heated up. Zoe was contemplating what was closer, the practice or the Rammer Jammer, so they could continue things in private when the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat interrupted. They pulled away from one another to see Earl standing several feet away.

Zoe frowned. He looked worse since the last time she'd seen him, his skin more yellow, his stomach just as round with fluid as ever though his face showing that he'd lost weight. He had been a no show for his follow up appointment with her a few days earlier, just as she'd expected he would. She'd have to figure out a way to check in on him without the risk of someone spotting her and giving the town more reason to gossip.

"Dad, what are you doin' here?" Wade asked.

"Needed to talk to you, figured you'd probably be at this dance thing with Dr. Hart," Earl answered. He nodded politely at Zoe. "Evenin' Dr. Hart."

"Hi, Earl," she said. She put her hand around Wade's elbow. She wasn't sure why, but she felt instinctively that he needed her to.

"Well it's Valentine's Day," Wade said. "I know I ain't been big on the holiday before now, but I've got a girl to celebrate with this year so if you'll excuse us…"

"I just need a minute," Earl said. "Not even that. I was just wonderin' if… Well, I have somethin' I need to talk to you and your sister about. I done already called her and she's comin' down on Saturday, bringin' the kids too. You and Dr. Hart come on out to the house too, 'round dinner time. We'll eat somethin' and talk."

Zoe drew in a breath as Earl gave her a meaningful look. He was going to tell his kids what was going on with him. Beside her, Wade shook his head.

"Whatever it is, just spit it out now," he said. "Saturdays are too busy at the Rammer Jammer for me to come out there. And you ain't got no business cookin' in that mess of a kitchen anyway."

"Meredith said she'd bring somethin.' This is important, Wade. You ain't gotta stay long but you do gotta come." Wade made to shake his head no and protest again, but Zoe jumped to Earl's aide.

"We'll be there," she said, squeezing Wade's arm. "Wade, you can go to the Rammer Jammer afterward. It doesn't get busy until later anyway and Shelley and the rest of the staff are more than capable of running things." Wade looked at her and she could see the disbelief in his eyes. Zoe pleaded with him silently to agree. Not one to tell her no, he sighed and relented.

"Fine," he said. "We'll see you Saturday."

"See you Saturday," Earl echoed. "Y'all have yourself a good night." He turned and the pair of them watched him walk away. When he was out of hearing distance, Wade looked at Zoe.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked. "I know you think I need to have a relationship with my dad, but I done told you, it's complicated."

"Wade, do you really think Earl would have gone through the trouble of calling your sister and tracking you down if it wasn't important?" she asked. Wade sighed.

"I reckon you're right," he admitted. "He looked bad, didn't he?" He'd noticed Earl's worsening appearance right off but had been too thrown by his dinner invitation to comment on it.

"He did," Zoe agreed. He slipped an arm around Zoe's waist and they resumed walking towards where he'd parked his car. "Although I do wish he had better timing. I was ready to drag you off to the Rammer Jammer or the practice, whichever was closer and – continue with things in private." Wade gave her a devilish grin.

"Well Dr. Hart, I believe the answer to your question is the Rammer Jammer," he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. "It is closed for the night since everyone is at the Sweetie Pie Dance but it turns out, I have the keys." Zoe returned his grin with a coy one of his own.

"I've heard you know your way around the office," she said.

"Might know a thing or two about it," Wade agreed. He took her hand and winked. "Come on, girl."

* * *

><p>She loved Wade's bed. Hers was perhaps softer, but his felt safer, like it welcomed her every time she slipped between the covers. It was incredibly late, having not returned to the Plantation from the Sweetie Pie Dance and their subsequent detour to the Rammer Jammer until well after midnight, but they were both still awake, still unable to keep their hands to themselves when they'd stopped the car outside of Wade's. Now, their clothes spread throughout Wade's house, they were lying in bed, Zoe's head resting on his chest while his arms were wrapped protectively around her.<p>

"What do you think he wants?" Wade asked, breaking the peaceful silence they'd fallen into.

"Who? Earl?"

"It's weird, him askin' us to come for dinner, that sort of thing. He don't do that. Ever. I've got a feelin' it's somethin' bad." Zoe reached up and brushed his hair away from his forehead. She knew what Earl wanted, but she couldn't tell him.

"Whatever it is, I'm here," she told him. Wade caught her hand and kissed it.

"I know," he said. "And that amazes me more than you will ever know." He held Zoe tightly and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Let's get some sleep," she said. "We both have to be up in a few hours." The lights were already off so Zoe turned in his arms and pressed her back to his chest. He moved so he could hold her better, tighter. He kissed her shoulder and both of them drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Well this is somethin' I never thought I'd do," Wade commented as he navigated the road to Earl's.<p>

"What's that?" Zoe had been looking out the window, contemplating what would happen once Wade found out about Earl. It would come out that she'd known the truth and she hoped Wade wouldn't be too upset with her. Surely he'd understand that she was under oath, that she legally couldn't say a word about Earl's illness.

"Take a girl to dinner at my dad's," he answered. "Let alone a dinner he put together."

"Meredith is still coming, right?" Wade nodded.

"She was gonna pick up dinner from somewhere between Mobile and here. Called me today to make sure you didn't have no sort of 'dietary restrictions' as she called it. Told her you'd eat anything so not to worry about it."

"Charming," Zoe said with a smile.

"Also true," Wade confirmed. "I like that 'bout you though, that you ain't afraid to eat a burger every once in a while." Zoe grinned but didn't say anything, remembering how Gigi had been floored when she'd ordered pancakes and bacon for breakfast, something she would have never done in her New York life.

The car slowed and Wade turned on his blinker though they were the only ones on the road. The area looked vaguely familiar to Zoe as she recalled it from their first date. She even vaguely recalled seeing the old mailbox at the end of the driveway they turned into. She was pretty sure Wade had driven just a little further down the road before he'd turned off the main road and onto the little narrow road that took them to the field where he'd given her her first driving lesson. She smiled fondly at the memory. She'd gotten fairly comfortable behind the wheel since then and had even driven Lavon's hybrid into town a couple of times although she still preferred to walk.

"Well, here we are," Wade said, stopping the car next to a brand new SUV Zoe assumed belonged to Meredith. She looked up at Wade's childhood home.

"This is beautiful," she stated. Wade raised an eyebrow.

"We lookin' at the same house?" he asked.

"I mean, sure the paint is peeling and it looks like the porch could use some work, but it's beautiful," Zoe said again. "It's got this old charm. Like the plantation but – different." Wade shook his head and opened his car door. He didn't see it, but he wasn't about to argue the point with Zoe. He went around to open her door, not altogether surprised when he seen her climbing out of the car. She only let him get her car door about half the time, too independent to rely on him all the time.

"Just remember Earl ain't looked after things in a long while," he told Zoe. "He let the house go a long time ago."

"Will you show me your bedroom before we leave?" Zoe countered.

"It's just a twin bed and an empty dresser."

"Still want to see it." Wade opened his mouth to retort when the screen door flew opened.

"Uncle Wade!" shrieked two kids, both tearing down the front porch steps and running towards him. Zoe watched as he knelt down to their level just in time to catch them both in a bear hug. It made her smile, watching him with them.

"Hey guys!" he said, pulling back so he could see them. "Mac, is your bow big enough?" The little girl was wearing a big pink bow that matched her monogrammed dress.

"My bow is pretty," she said indignantly, turning her chin up just a tad in a gesture that made Wade chuckle. Her eyes fell on Zoe and she smiled shyly. "Hi, Dr. Hart." Zoe beamed at the little girl, thrilled she'd remembered her.

"Hi, McKenzie," she said. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," the little girl said politely. She took in Zoe's necklace, a sparkly piece that was borderline costume jewelry. "I like your necklace. It's pretty." Zoe smiled at her.

"Well I like your bow," she countered. "It's very pretty, no matter what Uncle Wade says. And you can call me Zoe, okay?" McKenzie nodded, smiling.

"Hey Jake, do you remember Zoe?" Wade asked his nephew. "She's the doctor who helped Mac when she hurt her knee on Halloween." The little boy nodded but cast a look at Zoe that told her he wasn't entirely sure he did remember her.

"Hi, Jake," Zoe said kindly.

"Hi," he whispered back before going to Wade and trying to hide his face in his uncle's shirt.

"Hey, don't be like that," Wade told the little boy.

"He's what? Three?" Zoe asked. "He just need some time to warm up to me."

"Jacob's almost three," McKenzie, who was the bolder of the two, informed her. "His birthday is March 1st. My birthday is April 8th. I'll be five whole years old!"

"Five?" Zoe exclaimed. "That's a lot."

"I know!" McKenzie said so seriously Zoe and Wade had to laugh. Wade stood and picked up Jacob.

"Come on, ladies," he said, offering his hand. "Let's go inside and say hello." He'd meant for Zoe to take his hand, but McKenzie grabbed it instead, taking Zoe's hand in her other one.

"Mommy is taking dinner out of boxes," McKenzie told them as they made their way towards the porch. "And Daddy is 'spose to be helping but Mommy keeps telling him he's a drence. Pappy is just sittin' at the table. I think he feels bad but he don't have a fever. I checked."

"What's a drence?" Wade asked Zoe.

"A hindrance?" Zoe guessed. "As in more of a hindrance than a help?"

"Sounds like Eric," Wade commented. He held the door open for the rest of them. "Hello?" he called as they walked in.

"Wade!" came Meredith's voice. She appeared in the hallway. "And Zoe! Oh it's so good to see you both!" She came to hug them.

"Uncle Wade said my bow was too big," McKenzie informed her mother.

"Uncle Wade is a boy," Meredith told her daughter, straightening the offending bow. "He doesn't know any better." Wade opened his mouth to shoot back a reply, but before he could, Eric joined them and they went through the greeting process all over again. Earl stumped in several moments later. The mood shifted, tension filtering in with his arrival. Even Jacob must have felt it as he wiggled out of Wade's arms and went to join his sister who had taken a seat on the bottom of the staircase, observing. Zoe toyed with joining them.

"Hey," Earl said. He wasn't sober but he wasn't drunk either. If Zoe had to guess, she'd say he'd had just enough to drink to keep any withdrawal symptoms a day off from drinking might bring about at bay.

"Dad," Wade nodded curtly.

"Hi, Earl," Zoe replied, giving him a smile.

"Hi, Dr. Hart," he said.

"Well, shall we go ahead and eat?" Meredith said, not sure what else to do. They agreed and moved towards the kitchen. Wade took Zoe's hand. He'd expected to bring Zoe into his father's usual mess of a house but it looked like Earl had tried to tidy up. He hadn't done a very good job, with cobwebs still clinging to corners and dust still covering most of the furniture, but the kitchen was as close to spotless as it had been since Mary Ellen died.

The kitchen table was made to seat six and Meredith had already set out paper plates and plastic utensils that she'd brought with her, concerned about the state of her father's own kitchenware. McKenzie called sitting next to Zoe, leaving Wade to take the seat at the other end of the table from Earl. Eric and Meredith sat across from Zoe and McKenzie, Jacob on Meredith's lap. They traded dishes back and forth mostly in silence, the tension growing.

"So," Meredith said about halfway through dinner. "Dad, what did you want us all here for?" They all watched as Earl took a long drink from his glass – sweet tea instead of liquor – and made a business of wiping his mouth before he spoke.

"I got somethin' I need to tell the two of you," he said. Zoe reached under the table and found Wade's hand. "Might ought to send the little ones outside to play."

"Zoe can take us!" McKenzie said, already perking up at the thought of playing with her new friend outside. Zoe looked quickly at Wade who nodded.

"Dr. Hart needs to be here," Earl said. "They'll be fine- ain't nothin' gonna get 'em."

"No," Meredith said. "They can't go outside by themselves. There's too much out there they can get hurt on – fallen shutters, the old truck, God knows what in all that overgrown grass... McKenzie, take Jake into the living room and watch your movie quietly for a little while, okay? I brought your portable DVD player. It already has Mary Poppins in it."

"But I wanna play with Zoe!" McKenzie whined.

"We'll play later," Zoe told her. "If you do what your mom is asking right now, okay?" With some production, McKenzie disappeared from the kitchen, dragging Jacob behind her. The rest of them waited for Earl to continue.

"Y'all might notice I ain't lookin' so good," he said. "Not that I even looked good to begin with."

"I noticed," Meredith said. "You're all yellow and your belly looks swollen. But you look like you've lost weight at the same time, especially around your face. And I think you're in pain – I've heard you grunt a few times and you're moving pretty slow." Earl nodded in agreement.

"What's goin' on, Dad?" Wade asked. He was growing impatient.

"Well, I um, got a little concerned 'bout what was goin' on so I took myself into town to see your girlfriend a few weeks ago." Zoe squirmed a little in her seat as all eyes turned to her. Wade's gaze shifted, a shadow of suspicion creeping in. He turned back to Earl.

"And?" he prompted.

"Dr. Hart did some tests on me. Turns out I've got cirrhosis of the liver."

"Are you surprised?" Meredith asked almost right away. "As much as you've drank over the years, are you really shocked that your liver is failing you?"

"Not really," Earl admitted. "But that ain't all that's wrong with me. I got diabetes too. Been tryin' to keep up with all that sugar testin' and all but it's right hard to do."

"You can't just let that go, Daddy," Meredith said. "Diabetes is nothing to play around with."

"Well I got somethin' else wrong with me too," Earl said. "Some kinda hepto somethin' or other. What'd you call it, Dr. Hart?" Again, everyone's eyes were on her. She still had Wade's hand in hers. She found it reassuring that he hadn't pulled away from her. She swallowed, trying to buy herself time.

"Well?" Wade prompted. "What's he talkin' 'bout, Zoe?"

"Earl, I think you should be the one to tell them…," Zoe tried.

"He doesn't even know the name of what's wrong with him," Meredith stated. "Just tell us, Zoe." Zoe sighed, not looking forward to the next several minutes.

"He has Hepatocellular Carcinoma," she told the table. "It's a form of liver cancer. In Earl's case, it was caused by the cirrhosis." Wade withdrew his hand. Zoe looked at him, her eyes full of questions. He looked anywhere but at her.

"Well it's treatable, right?" Meredith asked urgently. "We can treat this, right?" Zoe looked at Earl who nodded at her to continue. She sighed. He needed to be telling them all of this, not her.

"I was only able to do a full battery of blood tests and an ultrasound at the clinic. I recommended several times that Earl let me refer him to a doctor in Mobile for further tests so we'd know exactly what we're dealing with, but he opted against medical advice. He's also opted not to seek treatment."

Meredith was off, giving her father all the reasons he was being ridiculous, telling her all the reasons he needed to see a doctor like Zoe recommended, why he needed to be treated. She only paused to tell McKenzie and Jacob, who had come from the kitchen to investigate the noise, to go back into the living room. Eric made soothing noises, trying to calm her down while Earl vehemently refused to listen to her. Zoe kept trying to catch Wade's eye, but Wade remained silent and avoided looking at her.

"Wade!" Meredith said in exasperation. "Help me!"

Wade looked at Meredith and then Earl. "He's gonna do what he wants. Ain't gonna matter what we want. Never has with him," he said. He finally turned to Zoe. "You knew," he said. "You knew all this time and didn't say a word."

"I couldn't, Wade," Zoe answered. She pleaded with her eyes for him to understand. "He's my patient. I have to keep his medical history confidential."

"You knew I was worried about him," he countered. "He ain't just a patient. He's my dad. And you're my girlfriend. You can't keep stuff like this from me."

"Wade…"

"I asked her not to say nothin' to you," Earl said, coming to Zoe's defense. "Don't go fussin' at her. She's just doin' her job." Meredith just looked at Zoe, trying to decide if she was upset with her or not.

"The patient you were worried about," Wade said, putting something together in his mind. "That night before it started to snow when we were sittin' on the couch at Lavon's. You said you were worried about a patient. That was Earl, won't it?" Slowly, Zoe nodded.

"Wade, you have to understand…" Wade stood abruptly and left the kitchen. Zoe hurried to follow him. "Wade, wait," she called, catching up to him as he banged through the back door. "Stop!" Wade stopped at the bottom of the back porch steps.

"What, Zoe?"

"I wanted to tell you," she said. "I swear I did. But as a doctor, I legally couldn't. I begged him to tell you…"

"I don't want to hear it, Zoe," Wade said. "This ain't somethin' you keep from your boyfriend." He turned to leave.

"Wade, stop," she said, calling after him as he walked towards the woods in the distance. He didn't turn around. And she knew better than to follow him.

* * *

><p>Zoe sat on the top step of Earl's rickety back porch, her arms wrapped around her knees as she watched the woods, waiting for Wade to come back. It had been nearly two hours since he disappeared and she was growing more anxious by the minute. She had busied herself at first with answering as many of Meredith's questions as she could and then helping clean up. She'd come outside under the pretense of watching McKenzie and Jacob play while Meredith and Eric talked to Earl about things, but really, she just wanted to wait for Wade.<p>

"Hey," came Meredith's voice. She came through the screen door and sat down beside Zoe. McKenzie and Jacob ran past them, playing a game of tag in which Jacob, too small to keep up with or catch up to McKenzie, was always 'it.' "Eric and I are leaving soon. He's just helping Daddy with a leak in the sink first. Want us to give you a ride home? It's on the way and I'm sure McKenzie would be thrilled to have you sit beside her in the car for a few minutes. You'll probably have to watch the beginnings of a Disney movie though. She's big on princesses these days."

"I should wait for Wade," Zoe said, glancing again at the woods. There was no sign of him.

"You might be waiting a while," Meredith told her. "He's always done this. Every time he'd get mad or upset, even before Momma died, he'd go out in the woods and stay a while. It used to drive Momma crazy. She'd try and keep herself busy but she'd usually end up right where you are now, waiting on him. Except she had a rocking chair she used to sit in. I have no idea what happened to that, hard to tell with Daddy. Wade'll come back eventually. No point in you staying here with no one but Earl for company in the meantime."

"I should probably wait," Zoe said, although she was tempted by Meredith's offer. She didn't particularly want to be there with Earl waiting on Wade either, especially when Wade was upset with her.

"Zoe, I know you couldn't say anything about Daddy. You're a doctor and he's your patient. You can't break confidentiality. I thought about being upset with you, but then I realized you were only doing your job. Daddy said you're the only doctor he'll see. And he also said you tried everything to talk him into treatment and then to get him to tell us."

"I hated not being able to say anything to Wade," Zoe confessed. "Especially in the last several day when Wade realized something was wrong with Earl."

"I can't imagine it was easy," Meredith said. She reached over and squeezed Zoe's hand. "Come on, let us take you home. You can talk to Wade tomorrow."

"Okay," Zoe agreed. She stood and helped Meredith corral Mackenzie and Jacob. As she waited for Meredith and Eric to finish gathering their things, she hoped against hope Wade would show up. He didn't. She waited as they hugged one another goodbye and caught Meredith with unshed tears in her eyes as she watched her father, the only parent she had left, hug her children goodbye. He slipped each of them a five dollar bill. Zoe had to look away, her own eyes threatening to tear up.

"Dr. Hart, thank you for everything," Earl said, turning his attention to her. "I sure am sorry about any trouble I caused between you and Wade. But he'll come 'round. I'll talk to him."

"It's fine," Zoe said with a shake of her head. "We'll figure it out." Earl held out his hand to her. Zoe made to shake his hand in a goodbye gesture but at the last moment, changed course and gave him a quick hug. "Wednesday morning, 7:00. Come see me at the clinic for a checkup," she said. "I know where you live now. If you don't come to me, I'm coming to you." Earl only nodded. Meredith mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Zoe.

After a last round of goodbyes, she followed Meredith to their car, McKenzie holding her hand and chatting happily about how they could watch _Snow White_ until they got to Zoe's house. Zoe held out hope that Wade would turn up until the Tahoe pulled out of the driveway and turned onto the main road.

* * *

><p>It was late, but she couldn't sleep. Wade still hadn't come home – she knew because she'd made it a habit of checking every so often to see if there were any lights on at his place. She would have heard his car regardless. Even with Meredith's continued reassurance that Wade would show up, she was growing more worried as each hour ticked by. She was also getting angrier.<p>

She'd only been doing her job. She understood why he was upset. If the roles were reversed, she'd be upset too. But it wasn't like she chose to lie to him. Really, she hadn't lied to him. She just hadn't told him about his father – because she couldn't. She truly, legally, couldn't. He had to understand that. He also had to understand that, without Earl's permission, she couldn't tell him anything about his father's condition if she were to continue to treat him.

The sound of his car rumbling up the driveway made its way to her ears. She closed the book she was reading, but didn't get off her bed, listening. The car was too loud for Wade to be on his side of the pond. The engine shut off and moments later, she heard him on her porch. Her front door opened and closed and he appeared in her doorway.

"You left without me," he said. Zoe looked at him but didn't say anything. He looked tired. "And now you're not talking to me." Zoe still didn't say anything, unsure of what to say – whether she wanted to apologize or be angry at him. Wade sighed and took several stepped into the room. "I was a jerk. Sometimes boyfriends can be jerks. It don't mean you stop talkin' to 'em." Zoe still said nothing. He rubbed his neck and took a deep breath. "You get that I'm sayin' I'm sorry right?"

"You get mad at me for doing my job, take off into the woods, don't turn up for hours and hours while I sit here becoming more convinced by the hour that something awful has happened to you, and then you show up here?"

"Of course I showed up," Wade said, taking still more steps towards her. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're mad at me," Zoe answered. Wade sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You've never done this before, have you?"

"Done what?" Zoe asked.

"Fight with a boyfriend? And then have the boyfriend apologize?"

"Not really," Zoe admitted. She'd never really fought with her last boyfriend – they'd never really done much of anything except meet up in on call rooms and maybe grab dinner outside the hospital once in a while. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered how they made it six whole years.

"Well this is out it works," Wade said. "You fight sometimes. And then somebody apologizes. From now on, you can expect that I'm gonna show up. Even if I yell. Even if you yell. I'm always gonna show up, okay?" Slowly, Zoe nodded.

"Okay," she agreed. Wade moved so he was sitting beside her. They rested against the headboard. "I wanted to tell you," she told him. "I just couldn't, Wade. Not because I didn't want to but because I literally couldn't."

"I know," he admitted. "I was mad at first, but then I started to think about it. You was just doin' your job. I talked to Dad for a long time when I came back. He made good and sure I knew he asked you not to say anything." He put an arm around Zoe. She rested her head on his shoulder. "He really likes you."

"I don't think people give Earl enough credit," she said. "They take him at face value, as the town drunk. But really, he sees just takes it all in, sees things for how they are."

"Maybe. I just know he's hell bent on not gettin' any treatment."

"I don't think you're going to get him to change his mind on that," Zoe told him. "I tried. I may have yelled."

"He told me. Apparently you two had quite the conversation." Zoe looked up at Wade.

"How are you?" she asked. "I know you're not okay."

"I'm – not sure what I am yet," Wade admitted. "I'm just tryin' to take it all in, make sense of it."

"You can talk to me," Zoe said. "I can't tell you much about Earl's condition without his permission, but I'll tell you what I can."

"How about right now, we just go to bed?" Wade asked. "It's been a long day." Zoe nodded and turned out the lamp at her bedside while Wade stripped down to his boxers and climbed back into bed. In the dark, their arms wrapped around each other, they remained awake, taking comfort in the other as they thought about the day behind them and everything that was ahead of them.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it. :) <strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	21. Safe & Sound

**This update - is a little heavy. But I also think it's very real, all things considered. It's a total coincident that Dr. Hart is brought up in this story just as he comes up on the show. Remember, I've had this story planned out from the first chapter to the last from the beginning. :) **

**THANK YOU so very much for continuing to read and review. I just can't seem to find the time to get back to you all, but I wish I could to tell you each how much I appreciate the support. Please know how much it means to me to see all of your reviews and alerts and favorite. You all are just wonderful!**

** This update is inspired by Taylor Swift and The Civil War's "Safe & Sound."**

* * *

><p>As far as she was concerned, it was a near perfect Saturday night. Near perfect because Wade was at the Rammer Jammer instead of on Lavon's couch with her, buried in blankets and with a mug of hot chocolate. It was nice though, being able to relax, to enjoy the peace and quiet as she watched an old movie. She wasn't on call, had nowhere to go, and nowhere to be. She didn't hate it.<p>

It had been a long week. After Earl's big announcement the Saturday before, she and Wade had spent Sunday morning making up after their first fight and then most of the afternoon with Zoe explaining Earl's condition to Wade and Meredith who had joined them by phone. It hadn't taken long for the rest of Bluebell to find out about Earl after that. One phone call from Meredith to Anna Beth and Lemon and the whole town knew. Wade had spent a lot of time damning Meredith's friendship with the two gossips after he'd gotten wind of it. She'd just listened, knowing he needed to sound off more than anything.

She hadn't seen him much that week. After taking an unplanned weekend off from the Rammer Jammer, he had been swamped trying to catch up. He'd also spent a lot of time at Earl's. Zoe hadn't gone along – and he hadn't asked her to – but she had a feeling Wade had been trying to convince him to seek treatment or at least go for testing to see just how far his disease had progressed so they'd know what they were dealing with. Earl had come in for his checkup – a couple days past when he was supposed to and much to her surprise – and had made comments that all but confirmed her suspicions.

While she didn't know the full extent of Earl's disease due to his refusal of testing, she did know the cancer had spread and that his prognosis was poor. Wade had bluntly asked her how long she thought Earl had and she had given him an honest answer – she didn't know. She wasn't the biggest advocate of giving people timelines. She'd seen doctors tell someone they had six months and they lived for years. She'd also known people who were told they'd be cured in three months only to see them die days later. Wade hadn't been entirely appeased with her answer, arguing that Harley had given them a timeline on his mother that had been right on, but she thought he understood.

She heard the kitchen door open and close but didn't move to see who it was. She knew it would be Lavon since Wade had told her he'd be at the Rammer Jammer until closing when he'd met her for lunch at the local burger place. She listened to Lavon drop his keys on the kitchen counter and then open the fridge and rustle through it. It closed and the sound of a beer cap being popped filled the air.

"What are we watching?" Lavon asked, walking in. He took a seat in an armchair.

"_Funny Face_," Zoe answered. "It's only been on about 30 minutes so you haven't missed much."

"Good. I was worried." Zoe rolled her eyes at Lavon's sarcasm.

"How was guy's night?" she asked. Didi had gone to visit her parents for a long weekend and so Lavon had arranged to meet up with some of his old college buddies in Mobile. He was back earlier than Zoe had thought he'd be.

"Oh you know, same old same – except we went golfing this afternoon, had a steak dinner, re-lived the glory days, and then everyone had to head back to his wife and or kids. It's official. Lavon Hayes is getting old."

"You're ancient," Zoe confirmed.

"Hush, girl." He checked his phone and replied to a goodnight text from Didi. "Wade working tonight?"

"Until closing. I am all on my own. Or at least I was until you showed up and ruined it all."

"God forbid I come home to my own house," Lavon answered. "But speaking of Wade, how is he doing? I ain't seen him much this week and I doubt he's thrilled that the whole town knows about Earl."

"He's…" Zoe had to pause to think about her answer. "To tell the truth, I'm not really sure. I know he's upset, worried. Who wouldn't be? But we've only really talked about things once and that was more of me trying to explain everything to Wade and Meredith. I don't want to push him if he doesn't want to talk about it. He knows I'm there if he needs me."

"Poor guy can't catch a break," Lavon commented. "Seems like the second things start going good for him, something else comes along to throw a wrench in his plans." Zoe wasn't entirely sure what Lavon was talking about, but she nodded anyway.

"He deserves to be happy," she said. Lavon looked at her.

"You make him happy," he told her seriously. Zoe played with the fringes on her blanket.

"He makes me happy," she confessed with a small smile. "Happier than I thought I'd ever be in Bluebell."

"I ain't sure it's just Wade that makes you happy in Bluebell," Lavon commented. "Looks to me like you've really found your way. People around here are really starting to take to you, think you're a good doctor too. And you only made two smartass comments when you heard about the Sweetie Pie Dance."

"Bluebell has grown on me," Zoe admitted. "I've always thought of myself as a New Yorker, through and through. But after I spent Christmas in New York… I'm not sure I fit in there anymore. It was great, being back in the city, but it just didn't feel right, exactly. Does that make sense?" Lavon nodded.

"That's how I felt when right before I retired from the NFL. It was such a big part of my life and yet – it just didn't feel right anymore."

"Exactly."

"Which leads to the elephant in the room," Lavon said. "You're a few months away from your year in Bluebell being up. What happens after that?" Zoe sighed.

"I don't know," she said. "I try not to think about it."

"You'll have to think about it eventually. Because eventually, you'll have to make a decision."

"Eventually being the key word."

"I can tell you right now that Wade ain't moving to New York."

"I know," Zoe said. "Is it wrong that part of me hopes I don't get offered the fellowship? Then the decision will be made for me."

"Lavon Hayes thinks that even if a part of Zoe Hart is hoping she doesn't get this fellowship she's been eyeing her whole life then Zoe Hart has her answer."

Zoe didn't reply. There was still plenty of time before a decision would be made. There was as good of chance as any that she wouldn't get the fellowship she'd applied to only weeks after moving to Bluebell. She couldn't really make any plans until she knew one way or another so really, what was the point in sitting there worrying about it on a Saturday night?"

She and Lavon settled in to watching _Funny Face_, Lavon paying more attention to his phone than the movie. Zoe was starting to doze off as the clock neared midnight when her phone rang out. She sat up and reached for it, not recognizing the number, but able to identify it as a Bluebell number by the area code.

"Hello?" she answered. Lavon looked up from his own phone, curious. Zoe listened closely to the voice on the other end, taking in every word. "Okay. I'll be right there. I'm leaving now." She hung up. "Lavon, can I borrow the hybrid?" she asked, already on her feet and heading for the key rack. "Mrs. Jefferson's water broke and her contractions are close together. There's no way she'll make it to the hospital in time to deliver."

"Yeah, that's fine," Lavon said. "Wade said your driving skills had greatly improved." Zoe shot him a look as she reached for the keys. Her driving had improved, so much so that she'd driven the old plantation truck into town a time or two all on her own although she hadn't quite managed to not stall out at least once yet. "I thought Brick was on call?"

"He is, but I've been handling Mrs. Jefferson's prenatal care. I was really hoping she'd deliver at a hospital – she's having twins and she's a little older. The risks are higher." She grabbed her purse and realized she'd have to stop by her place to get her bag before she headed to the Jefferson's place across Bluebell. "Thanks, Lavon." She was out the door, realizing Brick hadn't delivered a baby since she'd arrived. The thought made her smile.

Her eyes were blurry as she rolled up to her carriage house. It was just past four in the morning and she was exhausted to the bone, but Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson were now the proud parents of two healthy twin girls. Her work was done and she was looking forward to sleeping until well past noon. She parked Lavon's hybrid by her house and got out, aiming to stumble up her porch steps and into bed, but noticed the lights on at Wade's place. She changed course and headed across the yard, giving Burt Reynolds a wide berth when she spied him lounging by the pond.

* * *

><p>"Hey," she said quietly, walking into Wade's living room. He was seated in the middle of the couch, looking as tired as her, papers spread around him. He looked up from the set he was reading, surprised by her voice.<p>

"Hey," he replied. He moved some of the papers so she could sit down. "What are you still doin' up?" Zoe sat down beside him, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head on the back of the couch.

"I just got home," she told him. "Mrs. Jefferson's water broke. There was no time to get her to the hospital before she delivered."

"Everything go okay?" Wade asked. He'd just talked to Mr. Jefferson earlier when he'd came in to pick up dinner and the man had been beaming as he told him how excited they were about the birth of the twins they'd been hoping for for so long.

"Yeah. The Jeffersons are now proud parents to Ruby Eleanor and Sophie Elizabeth," she answered. "And their doctor is exhausted." Wade smiled.

"Good," he said. "They've wanted kids for a long time." Zoe nodded in agreement.

"Now what are you still doing up? Bringing work home now?" Wade dropped the papers in his hand on his coffee table and leaned back on the sofa. He looked at Zoe.

"I got home a couple hours ago. George dropped off all these papers at the Rammer Jammer for me to go over. Earl's makin' me Power of Attorney, havin' George draw up a will, gettin' a do not resuscitate order. I'm just tryin' to make sense of it all." Zoe slid closer and rested her head on Wade's shoulder. He put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm especially tryin' to figure how why he picked me and not Meredith. She's the oldest, the more responsible one. Not me."

"Four in the morning might not be the best time to make sense of all of that," she said, placing her hand on his chest.

"I know," Wade confessed. "I figured I probably won't gonna be able to sleep though, just layin' there thinkin' about it all. I thought about comin' over to your place when I got hom but didn't want to wake you. If I'd known you won't home though I probably would've gone lookin' for you, all worried and stuff about why you won't sound asleep like I thought you'd be." Zoe curled into his side, feeling sleep threatening to take her over. She could feel Wade giving in to exhaustion as well.

"Wade?"

"Hmm?"

"You know you can talk to me about things, right?" He nodded.

"I know, Zoe," he said. He kissed the top of head. "Just got to remember I ain't alone in this. "

They drifted off to sleep moments later, right there on Wade's worn couch, surrounded by documents giving Wade more responsibility over his father than he ever thought he'd be capable of handling.

* * *

><p>She was a woman on a mission. She didn't exactly know what she was doing, but she had everything she needed and Google to tell her what to do. Didi had told her at Thanksgiving that cooking was as easy as following a recipe. She had tried a few more simple recipes since her crock pot macaroni and cheese with fair success but she was upping her game this go around, determined to master an elaborate seafood dish.<p>

So far, things were going well enough. She'd seasoned the crab meat with parsley, minced garlic, salt and half a lemon, just like the recipe had directed. She'd sliced the salmon down the middle and stuffed them with the crab mixture. The recipe had said broil though and she had been thrown for a few minutes, figuring out exactly what that implied. She was back on track though and she thought she was possibly about to pull this whole thing off.

She moved on to the kale, washing it and chopping it while olive oil heated up in a pan on the stove. Slicing the garlic had been problematic. She'd made a huge mess, her hands were sticky, and her garlic was not as neatly sliced as the garlic in the recipe she was following, but it was as close as she was going to get. She added it to the pan, wondering what 'cook until soft but not colored' meant. She got her answer fairly soon as the garlic started browning. Sticking to the recipe, she raised the heat – although the recipe didn't say how high to raise it – and added in water and finally, the kale. She covered it and set the time for five minutes, turning to the pile of carrots, squash and zucchini she had chopped earlier.

"I've got this," she said to the empty kitchen.

Her plan was to surprise Wade with a good, home-cooked meal and since Lavon was gone for the weekend on some alumni trip to Tuscaloosa, it was the perfect time to do it. It had been another week of seeing each other when they could. She'd been busy at the practice as February had turned to March and the temperatures had gone on a roller coaster ride, 70s one day, 40s the next. Half of Bluebell had some sort of head cold or sinus infection and she had also been on call. Wade had been trying his best to balance the Rammer Jammer, checking in on Earl and getting a few things done around the plantation, all the while figuring out all the legal issues of being Earl's Power of Attorney. They'd managed to have breakfast together a few times that week and Zoe had eaten lunch at the Rammer Jammer most days, but Lavon was at breakfast and Bluebell was at lunch and so there hadn't been much room for quality time together. She was determined they'd change that tonight.

She got the vegetables layered on a baking sheet and sprinkled them with olive oil and seasoning. She was feeling pretty confident when she put them in Lavon's second oven, this one built into the wall and not used since Thanksgiving, to roast. She poured herself a glass of wine and made to sit down when her phone rang. It was her mother. Figuring she'd put off her mom's weekly phone call long enough, she answered, wandering out onto the porch to talk. The temperatures were back in the seventies.

She zipped her wine, listening intently as her mom filled in her in the latest gossip from the city then filled her in on Bluebell, Wade, and whatever else she wanted to know about. She hung up twenty minutes later and lingered on the porch, enjoying the warm breeze and the hints of spring coming to the plantation. She could already tell Bluebell would be beautiful when the season changed.

A high pitched beeping suddenly broke through the solitude. She jumped, dropping her wine glass in the process. It shattered on the porch. She cursed, realizing it was the smoke alarm going off and rushed into the kitchen, trying to avoid the broken glass. It was thick with smoke.

She turned everything off quickly, then moved the smoking kale off the stove's eye. She removed the lid, realizing her mistake instantly. She was supposed to keep it covered for five minutes then uncover and let it simmer until the liquid evaporated. She had been outside on the phone long after that had happened. The kale was ruined, no more than a shriveled black pile.

She couldn't think about it long though. Smoke was pouring out of the oven as well. She grabbed an oven mitt and pulled it open. The salmon, left to broil, was also ruined, her hard work gone to waste. She checked the second oven and found the vegetables were a little brown but mostly salvageable. She felt tears starting to threaten her eyes.

"What the hell?" came Wade's voice. "Zoe?" Zoe could hardly see him through the thick smoke still filling the kitchen.

"Wade?" She put the pan of vegetables on the top of the stove with the ruined salmon and kale just as she felt Wade's arm come around her waist.

"What happened?" he asked, waving his hand in an effort to clear some of the smoke.

"What does it look like happened?" Zoe asked. She pulled away from him and went to turn on the fan above the stove to help filter out some of the smoke.

"It looks like you tried to cook," Wade said with a smirk. He knew right away that both his smirk and his comment were ill-timed. "I'm sorry," he said quickly.

"It's not funny!" Zoe snapped. She stormed across the kitchen to start opening windows. "I was trying to make a nice dinner so we could maybe enjoy our evening together without any phone calls from people needing a doctor or dads needing checked on or bars needing attending and I ruined it! And you think it's funny! It's not!" Wade took a second to compose himself so he didn't laugh at her hysterics.

"Hey, it's okay," he said, crossing the kitchen with the intentions of giving her the hug he thought she needed. She ducked around him and went back to the stove, trying to hide the tears she was losing her battle against. She picked up the pan with the kale in it and started towards the garbage disposal. "Come on, stop," Wade said. He cut her off and took the pan from her, placing it back on the stove. He seen the tears then. "Zoe, don't do that." He took her face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

"I just wanted to do something nice for you," she said as more tears, more from frustration and embarrassment than anything, fell. "You've been so busy taking care of Earl and working. And then my mom called and I ruined dinner. Completely, totally, ruined it."

"Come here," Wade said, pulling her into his chest. He held her against him. "Thank you, for tryin' so hard," he said. "It means more than you know."

"Shut up," Zoe mumbled into his shirt. Wade chuckled and hugged her tighter. "I will never be domestic." A clever comment in agreement with that statement was on the tip of his tongue but he refrained, knowing it would do nothing but get him in trouble. He wasn't quite sure he wasn't in trouble as it was so there was no need to dig himself in even deeper.

"Zoe, I mean it," he said. He pulled away, keeping her in his arms. "All I want is to spend the evenin' with you. I don't care if that means eatin,'" he paused and tried to identify what she was trying to cook but could only make out the vegetables, "carrots and squash."

"Roasted vegetables, sautéed kale and crab stuffed salmon," she told him. "That's what I was trying to cook." Wade refrained from mentioning just how good that sounded now that she'd mentioned it. He knew how out of her comfort zone it was for her to be in the kitchen, trying to cook a meal for him. The fact that she had tried was more than enough.

"How does pizza and wine sound?" he asked. "And it looks like those vegetables survived."

"Not as good as what I'd planned." Wade kissed her forehead.

"I think we've got everything we need to make pizza here. How about we get this place cleaned up and get to work on it?" Zoe relented and between the two, they managed to get thing cleaned up pretty quickly. A little while later, they were seated at the patio table on Lavon's back deck, enjoying pizza, wine, and vegetables that didn't taste all that bad as the sun started to set.

"This isn't what I had in mind, but it's working out all the same," Zoe commented.

"Like I told you earlier, I just want to spend some time with you. Don't matter if we're eatin' crab-stuffed salmon or homemade pizza."

"I've missed you these last couple of weeks," Zoe confessed. "We've both been so busy." Wade wiped his mouth.

"You done?" he asked, noticing her food was gone. She nodded. He stood and offered her his hand. "Come on. Let's take a walk before it gets too dark." Zoe obliged and they set off on a path that would take them around the perimeter of the plantation.

"How was Earl today?" Zoe asked.

"Same, I guess. When I stopped by to check on him he was on the phone with Meredith. She was tryin' to get him to stop drinkin' but that just ain't gonna happen."

"No," Zoe agreed. "As much as it should, it's not." She looked at him. "How are you doing? Be honest." Wade took a deep breath, reminding himself that he was with Zoe and could let her in.

"It's hard," he admitted. "You know how my relationship is with my dad. But I still don't want to lose him, especially not like this." Zoe squeezed his hand and he rubbed his free hand over his face. "Me and Meredith have both said a hundred times each that drinkin' would kill him, but now it's actually happenin' and it's a lot to take in."

"I hate this for you," Zoe told him.

"It is what it is," Wade said. "Me bein' Power of Attorney… I don't know that I want that kind of responsibility. When things get bad, I've got big decisions to make." He blew out a breath, realizing it felt good to get what he'd spent so much time worrying about over the last couple of weeks off of his chest.

"It sounds like Earl has already made some of those decisions," Zoe commented, thinking back to how Wade had mentioned a do not resuscitate order.

"That's a whole other issue," Wade said. He returned her earlier squeeze of his hand with one of his own. "What have you been up to this week? Got to any more of Harley's stuff?"

"The practice has been busy," she told him. "These up and down temperatures have everybody sick. And I've been on call all week. It was a relief to hand that back over to Brick yesterday. I managed to finish clearing out Harley's kitchen though. I packed up most everything and got lucky – Dash DeWitt was holding a rummage sale to raise funds for the school's drama trip to New York and got together a group of his students to come over and haul it all to the high school. I did keep a coffee mug though. It was from Greece and, well…"

"It's a token of what got you here," Wade said with a grin. "I'd drink a cup of coffee out of it." Zoe elbowed him playfully and he laughed. He let go of her hand, only to put an arm around her waist and pull her closer to his side where she fit so exactly.

"I'm going to start on the living room next, I think. There's not much in there – mainly furniture. But he's got an impressive number of movies on VHS."

"Lavon has a VCR still. I think it works. If there's anything good, bring 'em back to the plantation. We'll kick it old school for a night."

"Between Lavon's VCR and your 8-Tracks, it'll be like we traveled back in time," Zoe quipped. "Because Bluebell isn't far enough removed from the modern ways of life as it is." Wade laughed again. He caught site of the western sky then. It was a deep, threatening black as the sky quickly faded to night.

"Let's get back to the plantation," he said, already turning back towards the house which was now just a speck in the distance. "The weatherman said we could get some rough storms tonight, looks like he might be right." Zoe looked back over her shoulder at the menacing sky.

"How rough?" she asked.

"Said there might be some tornado warnings," Wade told her. She snapped her head around to look at him with wide eyes.

"Tornados?" she asked. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she recalled that the south was prone to tornadic activity, especially in the spring. She had conveniently forgotten that little detail about her new town until now. Scenes from _Twister_ – particularly those involving flying cows and trucks – started playing in her mind.

"Just a slight chance tonight," Wade assured her, realizing this would be her first real storm in Bluebell. "Mainly just gonna be some pretty gnarly lightinin' and loud thunder, heavy rain. Could be some hail too." Zoe looked back at the stormy sky again, certain it looked darker than it had just moments earlier.

"But there's still a chance?"

"Reckon there's always a chance when it storms around these parts. 'Course there's more of a chance when the temperatures are all up and down like they've been lately." The first low rumbles of thunder sounded in the distance. "It's still a ways off," Wade told her, seeing her eyes grow wider.

"So is the house," Zoe pointed out.

"You know, I usually crash at Lavon's when this kind of weather moves in. We should probably stay there tonight, just in case. He's got a storm cellar, hell of a lot safer than trying to survive a tornado in either of our places." Zoe looked at him.

"Maybe we should walk really fast," she said seriously. "Or race. Let's race! I can totally beat you." With that, Zoe took off at a run towards the house. Wade laughed at the absurdity of the situation and took off after her, catching her easily. They made it to the porch just as the first rain drops started to fall.

* * *

><p>Zoe stared at the ceiling of one of Lavon's guest rooms, acutely aware of how the room lit up with each strike of lightening and how the walls shook with each rumble of thunder. The rain pounded violently against the old home and beside her, Wade slept soundly. There was an especially loud clap of thunder that made her jump. Wade grunted but didn't wake up. The thunder was followed by the sound of something rapping violently against the windows, joining in with the rain.<p>

"Wade?" she hissed. He didn't wake up. "Wade!" she poked him. "Wade!"

"Hmph?" he said, his eyes blinking open. He vaguely registered the sound of the storm going on outside.

"What's that noise?" she asked. Wade frowned, still half asleep.

"What noise?"

"That tapping sound against the windows." It grew louder, more intense. "Hear it?"

"It's just hail," he said, thinking it was a good thing Lavon was gone, leaving an open space in the garage for him to pull his Camaro into earlier. "Go on to bed." He was already closing his eyes again.

"Does that mean a tornado is coming?"

"I don't know. Probably not."

"Well how do we find out?"

Wade sighed, realizing there was no way he was going to go back to sleep until either the storms were over or Zoe fell asleep. Seeing as she was skilled at staying awake for hours on end due to her days as a surgery resident, he'd have to wait on Mother Nature.

"Give me your phone," he told her.

"My phone? Why?" She had it in her hand, obsessively watching the radar map as bands of green, yellow and orange moved over Bluebell.

"Just give it to me." Zoe passed him her phone and watched as he tapped on the screen several times.

"Here," he said, passing it back to her. "It's the NOAA weather app. Anytime there's any kind of weather warnin' it'll be buzz and you'll know if you need to leave early because of heavy fog or take cover because of a tornado."

"That's clever," Zoe commented, wondering why she hadn't thought to download a weather app as she started clicking through it. Another brilliant flash of lightning lit up the room followed instantly by one of the loudest claps of thunder yet. She slid closer to Wade.

"You realize I'm no match for Mother Nature, right?" he said, even as he moved so she could curl up against him. "I'll let her take me first if it comes to that, but you're going to have one hell of a fight on your hands to get her to spare you once she makes her mind up."

"Shut up and put your arms around me," Zoe demanded.

"Now is that any way to talk to a man who just said he'd sacrifice himself to keep you safe from the big, bad thunderstorm?"

"You have a point," Zoe conceded as Wade's arms wrapped around her. "I thought I'd seen bad storms before. I thought I even liked thunderstorms. But this is just unreal."

"This ain't nothin,'" Wade said. "We done seen way worse."

"I don't want to see worse." Wade moved so he was laying on top of her, deciding that since they were both awake, he may as well take advantage of the situation.

"Allow me to distract you," he said.

"Not even you can distract me from this," Zoe stated, even as she accepted his kiss.

"Don't go questionin' my skills, girl," Wade replied. He kissed her again and again until she was effectively distracted.

* * *

><p>"Y'all fare alright at the plantation during the storms last night?" Mr. Baxter asked as Wade put a cheeseburger and fries down in front of him.<p>

"Not too bad," Wade answered, thinking to himself he'd had a pretty good night, all things considered. "A few big limbs down, ditches washed out into the road. Should be an easy enough clean up. Scared the Doc right much though. Apparently they don't have storms like that up in New York." Mr. Baxter chuckled.

"I like that Zoe of yours," he said. "Got her quirks, I reckon, but she's a right smart doctor, reminds me a lot of Harley."

"She's somethin,'" Wade said with a grin. "Keeps my life interestin,' that's for sure." Mr. Baxter laughed.

"She's got you smiling, that's for sure," the older man said. "You keep that girl, you hear?"

"I ain't plannin' on lettin' her go," Wade told him. "Say, did you hear 'bout that channel cat old man Bufford caught somewhere down near the tribute the other day? Chuck Fisher said it was just a couple ounces shy of the record, caught it on chicken livers right out of his boat."

Wade and Mr. Baxter launched into fishing stories, trading tales from their last fishing trips while going back to the near record-setting catfish James Bufford had caught a few days earlier every so often. Mr. Baxter had been a commercial fisherman his entire life and Wade always found him a wealth a knowledge. Just as the old man thought to ask about how Earl was doing, Zoe burst into the bar. Wade could tell right away that something was wrong and excused himself from Mr. Baxter.

"You busy?" she asked as he met her at the end of the bar. "Of course you're busy. It's Sunday afternoon and church just got out and this is one of the only places open in Bluebell on a Sunday. So never mind. Pretend I was never here. I'll see you when you get off." She turned to leave, but Wade caught her hand.

"I'm not too busy for you," he said, spinning her around to face him. "What's wrong? And don't say nothin.' I can tell somethin's got you all worked up." Zoe glanced around at the busy bar. Plenty of people were watching them while trying to pretend they weren't.

"Can we go back to your office?" she asked. Wade kept her hand in his and led her through the back through the door, directing Shelley to watch the bar for a few minutes. e shutHe shut the door behind them and turned to Zoe. She looked anxious as she crossed her arms and chewed on her lip.

"What's goin' on, darlin'?" he asked. Zoe crooked a small smile despite her anxiety. Wade had taken to calling her darling lately and she liked it, even though she'd never been fond of pet names. She blamed the way it sounded with his Southern accent.

"My dad is coming to town," she said. "Or – Dr. Hart or whoever. He called me and I didn't recognize the number but I did recognize the area code as a New York one so I answered. Apparently he moved back to New York. Who knew? Not me. Now he wants to see me. He was on his way to a surgery so he couldn't talk long. Or so he said. I haven't heard from him in months and months. I don't know. Anyway, he called to tell me he'll be here tomorrow. Tomorrow, Wade. As in – tomorrow. I barely got any warning. I don't know what he wants. All I know is he's on a flight tomorrow and he's got a car lined up to pick him up at the airport and will be here tomorrow afternoon. To see me."

Wade took a moment to digest Zoe's rambling. What he got from it was that the man she'd grown up believing to be her father – and who she had been estranged from for months – was on his way to Bluebell and she was freaking out.

"Well, I guess all you can do is wait for him to get here and find out what he wants," he said, stating the obvious. "Ain't really much else you can do, is it?" Zoe opened her mouth to argue with him, not satisfied with his answer, but then realized quickly he was right. There was nothing else she could do but wait until Dr. Ethan Hart landed on her doorstep and then go from there.

"I shouldn't be springing this on you," she said instead, sighing heavily. "You've got enough going on with your own father."

"And you have been right there for all of it," Wade replied. "Remember how you told me I won't alone?" Zoe nodded, catching on to what he was saying. "You're not alone either." She walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You know, as far as boyfriends go, you aren't so bad," she told him. He chuckled.

"I wouldn't go that far," he said.

"I would," Zoe insisted. Wade wrapped her into a hug.

"You got anything planned for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"Well, I spent the morning Googling all things tornado. Then my dad called. So I'll probably spend the afternoon obsessing over what he wants and working on an elaborate speech about how he let me down and disappointed me that I'll never actually give."

"How 'bout you stick around here and help me out? Rumor has it you're workin' on replacin' me as favorite bartender. Then we'll grab somethin' to eat and you can tag along with me out to check on Dad. I want to set a few minnow traps too."

"I'm not entirely sure what minnow traps are, but sure. Why not?" Zoe said. Wade grinned and opened the office door for her. She was more of a hindrance than a help behind the bar and taking her along to set minnow traps in the creek that ran behind his dad's house would probably be a downright disaster, but it would take her mind off of her father's impending arrival and that would be more than worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>I've lived in the South my entire life and was floored by the difference in intensity of thunderstorms just from Virginia to Tennessee. I can only imagine the difference between New York and Alabama. And for the record, I definitely put a little of my own reaction to bad storms into Zoe's. :)<strong>

**Thank you for reading and reviewing!  
><strong>


	22. I Loved Her First

**Go ahead and blink your eyes a few times. It's probably hard to believe there is an actual update. But it's true! There's an update! I don't really have a good excuse outside of being busy – no writers block or anything of that sort. I do have every intention of finishing this story, so hang in there! **

**THANK YOU to all of you who have been reviewing and messaging and asking me if I'm still alive. I appreciate you all so much and I do hope you're still reading. I adore you all! **

**This update is inspired by Heartland's "I Loved Her First." If you're a daddy's girl like me, that song will make you cry like a baby.  
><strong>

**THINGS I OWN: A recently purchased Nook. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

**Recap since it's been a bit: Zoe and Wade are together now, Wade has a big secret him and George are 'taking care of,' Wade's father is sick and Zoe's father is on his way to town. And that's where we pick up.**

* * *

><p>Zoe thought she knew what the phrase 'pins and needles' meant. She'd been on pins and needles waiting to hear if she'd gotten into her top choice for medical school. Then she'd waited to learn where her residency would be, waited to learn if she'd passed her boards, gotten her fellowship. She'd spent a lot of time on pins and needles, if she thought about it, obsessing over test scores and internships, things that she'd been sure at the time would make or break her career as a surgeon. But now, as she waited for her father to turn up, she truly understood the meaning of the phrase.<p>

It was nearly the end of the day and he still hadn't showed. She'd almost allowed herself to believe he wasn't going to turn up, but she wasn't quite ready to let her guard down. Whether or not she'd be disappointed if he didn't turn up, she hadn't decided. The practice was still open for another hour, but she didn't have any more patients and so she had wandered up to Harley's apartment to go through a few more of his things.

His movie collection, it turned out, was not only vast but varied. He had action movies and classics, comedies and tragedies. He even had a few foreign films. She had sorted them into two piles, one to donate to the church and another much smaller pile that she intended to watch with Wade before they too went into the donation pile.

She'd moved on to his book shelves and was pleased to find he had quite the collection of classics. She divided these into piles as well, but her keep pile was much bigger than her donate pile which mainly consisted of paperback books that could be picked up in any bargain bin. She'd already read most of the books she kept, but she sat aside a copy of _Gone With The Wind_ to take back to the plantation. It was one that she had never read and if nothing else, it could give her tips on how to survive in the South.

It was ironic that she was sitting in her biological father's home, waiting for the man she'd called 'Dad' her entire life to show up on her doorstep. She hadn't slept well the night before, anxious about the next day and wondering what Ethan Hart wanted, what he would say, what she would say. She had managed to push it out of her mind for a while, helping Wade at the Rammer Jammer and then having dinner with him, but as soon as they'd settled in for the night, she was back to worrying.

She was sure Wade had heard his fill of her daddy issues. He had listened as she'd rambled on, picking at his guitar while she paced the floor and jumping in with a comment or two when she took a break to breathe. She couldn't say he was much help, but he'd tried and she had to give him credit for that. He'd let her rant and rave and walk a ring around his sofa which was exactly what she needed to do at the time, showing yet again just how well he knew her.

Sometime in the middle of the night, lying in Wade's bed with her head on his chest as he slept, what she wanted to say to her dad became crystal clear. He had left her. At 10 years old, all she knew was that the man who had loved and adored her even when he didn't necessarily love and adore her mother suddenly went away. At first, he had visited on birthdays and major holidays, maybe the occasional school break. As she got older, those visits became phone calls and presents in the mail. Then just presents and then finally, nothing.

He had returned her calls here and there. She had learned pretty quickly he was more likely to email her than to speak to her on the phone and had figured out that if she focused on medicine, asking questions and telling him about particularly interesting cases, his replies might be longer. She hadn't realized at the time that she was editing her thoughts to get him to pay her any amount of attention. It wasn't fair. She was the innocent one in the situation. She was also the one who had been hurt the most.

"Dr. Hart? It's 5:00. I'm leaving. I'll see you in the morning," came Brick's voice up the stairs.

"Don't forget the on call phone!" Zoe called back. She heard Brick mumbling, confirming that he'd forgotten he was on call. Or not forgotten. She had a theory that his tendency to leave the phone at the practice when he left before her was to avoid being on call, assuming she'd pick up his slack. And usually, she did.

Standing from where she'd been sitting in the floor surrounded by books, she picked up the copy of _Gone With The Wind_, turned off the lights, and locked the apartment behind her. She stopped in her office and gathered her things, contemplating dropping by the Rammer Jammer to see Wade. She decided against it. It would be better to be in the privacy of her carriage house should her father actually show up rather than risk running into him at the Rammer Jammer, a place she was sure he'd go as he had an affinity for scotch. She blew out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she locked the doors to the practice.

"Everything is going to be okay," she told her reflection in the door's glass before turning towards home.

* * *

><p>Wade expertly poured a mixed drink and slid it across the bar to the man who had requested it and started popping the tops off of a round of beers for Shelley to take to a table. On the outside, he looked like his usual cool and collected self, but on the inside, he was a nervous wreck, his thoughts with Zoe and wondering if her father had made his way to her yet. Since he hadn't heard the buzzing a new face in Bluebell brought about, he doubted it, but he was nervous all the same.<p>

He knew she hadn't slept much, if at all, the night before. He'd let her pace the floor, listing all the things Ethan Hart had ever done, the good and the bad. He'd listened as she tried out speech after speech. He'd offered up what he could by way of help, but instinctively knew Zoe had to handle this herself. All he could do was be there with his arms open if and when things came crashing down.

It was a mark of how much he'd grown as a person. Before Zoe, he would have cut and run the second things got tough, not willing to stick around and play the role of supportive boyfriend. It wasn't his style. With Zoe though, he wanted to be there, wanted to hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay. He'd face her father for her if he could. He didn't know when it had happened and it certainly hadn't been overnight, but evidence was piling up that he had become a real and true adult.

"Wade, my boy," Lavon greeted him, sitting down at the boy. "Pop the top on something cold for me." Wade obliged, reaching for a Heineken and twisting the top off.

"So you're the Mayor of this fine town," Wade said, leaning on the bar as Lavon turned up his beer. "I reckon you'd get news pretty quick if someone new turned up, wouldn't you? You knew 'bout the doc mighty soon after her arrival." Lavon looked at him.

"I ain't heard hide nor hair of nobody by the name of Ethan Hart arriving in Bluebell," he said. "And trust me when I say I've had my ear to the ground all day." It made Wade feel just a little better, knowing Zoe had Lavon in her corner as well.

"She's all worked up," Wade told him. "You seen her at breakfast, spilling milk and dropping boxes of cereal. I ain't seen her all day. I just hope she ain't gone and diagnosed a patient with some serious disease or gave 'em a shot of something when they just needed stitches."

"She was wound tight," Lavon agreed. "Trying to tell Lavon Hayes won't nothing wrong. She was still speaking to you so I figured you won't at fault. Like to never got that girl to spill the beans on what was bothering her."

"I resent that," Wade told him. "I'll have you know I've made it nearly two months into this relationship without pissing her off. Well, there was that one time with my dad, but we figured that out pretty quick so it don't count."

"Zoe's been good for you," Lavon said seriously. "You've been right good for her, come to think of it."

"I'm just lucky enough she puts up with me," Wade admitted. "That girl done gone and made me want to shine up my shoes and put on a clean shirt." Lavon chuckled at Wade's analogy for Zoe.

"You have looked a bit more presentable as of late," he agreed. The door chime sounded, signaling someone had walked in. Wade usually tuned it out, so used to people coming and going, but he glanced in the door's direction as did Lavon, both on the lookout for Zoe's father. It was Brick Breeland.

"Evening, gentlemen," he said, sitting down beside Wade. "Pour me a Jack and Coke, son." Wade nodded and fixed Brick his drink.

"Zoe still at the practice when you left?" he asked casually as he sat Brick's drink in front of him.

"Yeah. She was puttering around upstairs. She's been distracted all day – not distracted enough to not remind me I'm on call, but distracted all the same. She all right?"

"You're on call?" Lavon asked, eyeing Brick's drink.

"I know my limits," he said. "I'll just have the one, just like I do every evening after work, on call or not." Lavon shrugged and hoped Zoe was available should something more than a broken bone or scraped elbow occur.

"Distracted how?" Wade asked.

"She's just more – Zoe – than she's been lately," Brick said with a shrug. "Rambling and dropping things. I half expected her to diagnose someone with a debilitating brain disease again but she seemed to manage to get her patients in and out in more or less the same shape they came in. I think I heard her mention to Addie that her dad was coming into town?"

"He's supposed to be on his way," Wade said. "Which would be why Zoe's been a little distracted today."

"Well who can blame her?" Brick said. He took a swig of his drink. "Abandoning her like that. He ought to be ashamed of himself. She was just a little thing when her parents separated from what I hear. And it certainly won't her fault her momma went and slept with Harley then hid the truth from both of them all these years." Wade raised an eyebrow and Lavon looked downright shocked.

"Brick, are you – defending – Zoe?" Lavon asked. Brick seemed to realize what he'd done.

"Just stating some facts, that's all," he said, trying to cover his tracks. He'd grown fond of Zoe in a roundabout sort of way and the more he got to know her, the more he could tell that not only was she a good doctor, but a good person. And besides, he knew a thing or two about being abandoned and secrets himself. "Is that Evan Perkins I see over there? I've been meaning to ask him about a ticking sound coming from my engine…" He got up from the bar, taking his drink with him, and joined the town's favorite mechanic.

"Wait 'til I tell Zoe that Brick's on her side," Wade said with an amused smirk.

"Better take a trip to hell first, make sure it ain't froze over," Lavon commented. Wade chuckled. The bell over the door sounded again and Wade once again turned towards it. His eyes widened.

"That's him," he hissed to Lavon, reaching across the bar to hit his shoulder. Lavon jerked his head once in agreement as they watched the old man, dressed in a tailored suit and giving off an air of importance, make his way to the bar. All eyes in the bar were on him. Brick was looking at him with a sort of contempt, aware of who he was. Lavon and Wade exchanged a glance before Wade greeted the man.

"Evenin,' sir," he said. "What can I do you for?" Ethan Hart looked at him with an expression resembling confusion on his face. Wade realized his usual casual greeting was lost on the man who, he remembered, had traveled the world and was probably even more a fish out of water than Zoe was in Bluebell. "I mean, can I get you something to drink?" he asked instead. Ethan eyed the selection, thinking it over.

"As much as I could use a scotch, I'd better not," he answered. "At least not now. I'm actually looking for my daughter – Zoe Hart? She's one of the doctors in this town." Wade nodded.

"You're in luck," he said. "You done probably found the two people in Bluebell who know her best." He extended his hand. "I'm Wade Kinsella, her neighbor." He purposefully introduced himself as a neighbor, thinking it best to let Zoe do any other introductions. Ethan shook his hand, Wade making sure to look him in the eye and give him a good, firm handshake in return. "And this here is Mayor Hayes," he said, indicating Lavon.

"The linebacker," Ethan said simply, reaching to shake Lavon's hand. "Pleasure to meet you both."

"Likewise," Lavon replied. "Zoe lives in the carriage house on my property. I'm heading that way now if you want a lift."

"I guess I may as well bite the bullet and take you up on the offer," Ethan replied, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Wade didn't like how he said 'bite the bullet,' as if seeing Zoe was some sort of chore he didn't want to do, but he kept his thoughts to himself, thinking it was in both his and Zoe's best interests if he didn't voice his thoughts right then.

"Right this way then," Lavon said. He exchanged a meaningful look with Wade as he paid for his drink and Brick's too after feeling a certain wave of gratitude towards the town's other doctor for being in Zoe's corner. Ethan nodded a goodbye to Wade and followed Lavon out the door. Wade waited until they were safely outside, then went into his office. He dialed Zoe.

"Hey," she answered.

"Hey, darlin,'" he replied. He could hear a hint of anxiety in her voice. "How you doin'?"

"Oh you know, just waiting for my estranged father to turn up. So in other words, I'm absolutely peachy." The corner of Wade's mouth twitched upward at her sass.

"Yeah, 'bout that," he said. "He's on his way to the plantation. He came in lookin' for you and Lavon's givin' him a ride out there." He heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Here?" she asked. "As in, my house?"

"Yeah," Wade confirmed. "I wanted to give you a heads up. I figured I sprung one parent on you when I picked up your momma at Thanksgiving, didn't want to be responsible for springin' another one on you."

"Thanks," Zoe said. She let out a breath.

"It's gonna be okay," he told her. "See what he wants and decide if it's worth you listenin' to what he has to say."

"I'll try," she said. "I make no promises." Wade personally thought she was more likely to tell the man off and put him on the first plane back to New York than listen to what he had to say.

"Call me if you need me, okay?" he asked. "I'm supposed to close tonight, but just say the word and I'll be there."

"I'll be fine," she told him. "I'll see you when you get home or tomorrow."

"It's gonna be okay," Wade said again.

"Thanks, Wade. For everything. I know I kept you up last night."

"Yeah well, you can make that up to me by letting me keep you up one night this week, deal?" Her laughter on the other end of the phone made him smile.

"Deal," she agreed. He hung up the phone, took a deep breath and returned to his spot behind the bar.

* * *

><p>Zoe sat on her top porch step, eyes peeled on the road where Lavon and her father would eventually appear. She tried to settle on what she would say when he first stepped out of the car, but nothing seemed quite right. If Wade were with her, he'd tell her to go with whatever happened in that moment. He was far better at going without a plan than she was however and even as the black Navigator appeared in the distance, she was still frantically trying to land on something that worked.<p>

The SUV rolled to a stop and Zoe stood, wrapping her arms around her in a protective sort of gesture. Lavon got out of the vehicle right away, but Ethan remained in the passenger seat, taking Zoe in. Zoe returned his gaze, not sure if she was willing him out of the car or o remain inside.

"Seems like an okay guy," Lavon commented as he climbed the steps to come stand by her. Zoe shot him a look that told him he said the wrong thing. "I'm going to be up at the house. Didi is coming over. You come on up there if you need anything, you hear?" Zoe only nodded, her eyes still on her father. Finally, the passenger door opened. Lavon heard her suck in a deep breath. He squeezed her shoulder, bid Ethan goodbye, and climbed back into his Navigator. He was out of sight before either of them spoke.

"Zoe," Ethan said. "You look well." Zoe nodded once.

"You look – the same," she said. He did. He was still wearing tailored suits. His thick hair was maybe a little thinner and a little faded, but he still combed it in the same fashion. He still held himself with an air of dignity that came with being a world-class surgeon. But, she noticed, he looked as nervous as she felt. That comforted her. "So… What brings you to Bluebell?" she asked.

"Well, you," Ethan answered. "Not much else that would bring me here, is there?" He had a point.

"But why?" Zoe asked. "After all this time, what brings you here?" Ethan sighed. There would be no beating around the bush, no casual conversation. Zoe was going to go right to the point and stay there until she was satisfied with the answers she received.

"I think it's time we talked," he told her. "Can we go inside?" Zoe nodded and turned, leading the way inside. She went straight to one of her armchairs and took a seat, tucking her legs under her and waiting. Ethan took his time, lingering in the doorway, taking in her cozy home.

"I imagine this is smaller than your loft in New York," he commented. A photo on an end table caught his eye. He picked it up and studied it. "This is Harley Wilkes, I imagine?" Zoe nodded.

"That's him," she confirmed. There was an edge of defensiveness in her voice, as if she dared one father figure to question anything about the other.

"It seems he was a good man from what I read," Ethan commented, putting the photo back. "A good man, good doctor."

"You Googled him?" Zoe asked.

"Of course I did. Did you think I wouldn't?"

"Did you Google me?" she asked. "See what I was up to? If I'd maybe won a Nobel Prize or died in a subway accident?" Ethan sighed and finally took a seat on the couch near Zoe.

"I know you're angry," he started. "You have to understand that I am too. I spent 10 years thinking I had this perfect little girl, only to learn you aren't mine at all."

"Which isn't my fault," Zoe said. "I didn't get to pick who my parents are. Trust me, if I had, I'd have probably chosen differently."

"Who would you have chosen?" Ethan asked. Zoe raised her eyebrows, surprised by his response.

"What?"

"Who would you have chosen?" Ethan repeated. "Who are your perfect parents?"

Zoe opened her mouth to give a response full of sass, but stopped herself. She chewed on her lip, thinking. If he wanted to know, she'd answer. And if he didn't like what he heard, well that wouldn't be her problem. They both knew he was far from ideal.

"They would be there," she started. "We'd have breakfast together before we went our separate ways for the day. I don't know what kind of jobs they'd have. Maybe they'd be a celebrity publicist and a world-renowned heart surgeon. Or maybe they'd be an accountant and a secretary. But whatever their job, they'd come home at a decent hour. We'd have family dinners and talk about our day. Maybe not every day, but most days.

"They'd be at school plays and graduations. They'd pick me up from school when the nurse calls instead of sending a nanny. They'd know I'm allergic to bees and that I thought a family of gnomes lived under my bed for most of third grade. I wouldn't be the kid hovering awkwardly in the corner after a dance recital or choral concert while everyone else hugged their parents and were told how great they were even if they were absolutely awful. Because I'd have my own set of parents to hug and hear exaggerated reviews of my performance from. That's who my perfect parents would be. Instead, I got you. And Mom."

Ethan sighed and rubbed a hand across his face, realizing for the first time that he'd failed even more as a father than he'd thought.

"Zoe, I'm sorry," he said, remorse in his voice. "Even for the 10 years when I was blissfully unaware that you weren't my biological daughter, I let you down. To me, I was doing the best I could as a father, working long hours to give you and your mother everything. I was there when I could be. You can't argue that."

"You were there when there when you weren't fighting to get some fancy surgery," Zoe corrected. "Which is the real issue here. Not the fact that by blood, I'm not your daughter. The fact that you left me." Ethan nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry," he said again. He blew out a breath. "Listen, Zoe, nothing is going to get solved today. We both know that. I'll be here for a few days and we have plenty of time to talk. It's been a long day of traveling and – for lack of a better word – confrontation. Why don't you tell me about Bluebell, your practice?"

Part of Zoe wanted to insist they keep discussing how he'd left her and all the issues they had. But he was right. It had been a long day for her too, working and then worrying after a night of little sleep. They had plenty of time to talk about things.

"Bluebell is – different," she started. Ethan visibly relaxed, relieved Zoe had agreed to shelf their talk for the moment. "They have all these quirky town celebrations and fairs and festivals. It's something new and strange every other week. But there people here are good. Good, honest people. They care about their neighbors and bring pound cakes to introduce themselves. It's not New York, but it's… Well, it's Bluebell." Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"It sounds like you've grown rather fond of this place," he commented.

"It's not as bad as I once thought," Zoe conceded. "It's hotter than hell, but if you can look past that and all the bugs, you start to appreciate the quiet evenings. You just have to lookout for the wayward alligator if you're wandering around on the plantation at night."

"Alligators?"

"Lavon has a pet alligator," Zoe explained with a wave of his hand. "His name is Burt Reynolds, he sleeps on my porch steps a lot." A thought occurred to her. "Where are you staying?"

"Well I have a room at the Bluebell Inn," Ethan explained. "Although I have the impression it may not be so easy to get a taxi out here to take me back into town." Zoe smiled slightly.

"No taxi," she confirmed. "But when you're ready to go back into town, I'll borrow Lavon's Navigator and drive you." Ethan looked at her.

"You can drive?" he asked, the surprise evident in his voice. Zoe nodded proudly.

"Wade taught me," she said. "I'm still not very good with a manual and he won't let me anywhere near the driver's seat of his car, but I do pretty well with Lavon's Navigator. So much so I'm considering getting a car of my own."

"A car of your own? It sounds like you might be planning on sticking around once your year as a GP is up."

"There's a lot to be decided," Zoe said firmly. The tone in her voice let her know the subject was off the table for discussion. Ethan decided to focus on the other piece of information he'd picked up on when Zoe revealed she knew how to drive.

"Wade, he's the young man I met at the bar I walked into, right? I believe he said his last name was Kinsella? He introduced himself as your neighbor." Zoe nodded.

"He lives in the gate house on the other side of the pond," she told her father. "He's my boyfriend, actually." Ethan had suspected as much, putting together the pieces from Wade saying he knew her well to the slightest of smiles that had graced Zoe's face when she'd mentioned him teaching her to drive.

"Boyfriend?" Ethan inquired. "I can't say I ever seen my daughter dating a bartender. He did seem like a fairly nice kid though."

"The Rammer Jammer is actually his bar," Zoe corrected. "It was his mom's place before that. It's the place to be in Bluebell. He does a great job with it. You'll have to try the po'boy while you're here. Or maybe the biscuits and gravy."

"He treats you well?" Ethan continued. "Makes you happy?" Zoe's smile was the only answer he needed.

"Wade is great," she confessed. "He's always looked out for me, even before we realized we liked each other. He takes care of his dad too, helps Lavon out around the plantation."

"If he's such a successful business owner, why does he live in a gate house on the mayor's plantation?" Ethan asked. Zoe opened her mouth to respond, but realized she didn't know the answer. Why did Wade live in a guest house? She was sure he could easily afford a place of his own, maybe somewhere closer to the Rammer Jammer or out near his dad.

"He's been friends with Lavon forever," Zoe told her dad. "It was just one of those 'temporary' things that turned into a long term thing."

"Kind of like your time in Bluebell?" Ethan asked. Zoe gave him a look but didn't answer him. He was implying that he knew what she was going to do before even she did. He sensed he was wearing down his welcome. "Why don't you show me these driving skills of yours?" he asked. "We can make plans for tomorrow on our way into town."

* * *

><p>Zoe sat in one of the Adirondack chairs by the pond, her head back and eyes closed, enjoying the cool night air. Spring was banging on the door, hints of it already showing up in greening grass and early buds on the dogwood trees. She could practically smell the new season floating in on the light breeze that was blowing through Bluebell.<p>

It occurred to her that this was one of the moments she'd been trying to explain to her father earlier. The quiet, the peace. She felt at home as she relaxed, waiting for Wade's headlights to break through the darkness. She desperately wanted to see him after the day she'd had and had paid him a visit at the Rammer Jammer to tell him as much after she'd dropped Ethan off at the inn. The place had been extremely busy and he had been running all over to keep up, but he'd promised to come over whenever he got home.

It was close to eleven when the sound of his car interrupted the silence of the night. She opened her eyes and sat up in the chair, watching his headlights grow bigger as he got closer. He bypassed his house and drove around the pond to hers. He rolled to a stop at her porch and got out, made his way towards her.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hi," Zoe replied just as softly. He gave her his usual quick kiss on the lips before settling into the other chair. "You were busy tonight." He nodded.

"Good thing too," he said. "Kept me from havin' time to worry about what was goin' on here." He looked at her expectedly, waiting to hear how things had been with her dad. She'd seemed okay when she'd dropped by the Rammer Jammer. Had she not been, he would have abandoned ship and headed home right then and there. As it was, he'd already ducked out early, leaving Shelley to close.

"I got a few things off my chest, he got a few things off his. We're having lunch tomorrow – at the Rammer Jammer so be prepared to impress." Wade raised an eyebrow.

"Does he… Does he, you know…. Know I'm your…"

"Boyfriend?" Zoe supplied, amused as Wade stumbled over his words. "Yes, he does. He said you seemed like a 'fairly nice kid.' I told him you weren't awful."

"That's nice of you," Wade said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He'd never done the meet-the-parent thing. Meeting Zoe's mom was one thing. They weren't dating then and there had been a life or death situation taking place. He'd gotten her on his side before he could officially call Zoe his girlfriend. But her father was a different animal. There was a lot of baggage between her and Ethan Hart without tossing a boyfriend – a guy from nowhere, Alabama who owned a bar – into the mix.

"He asked if you treated me well, made me happy. I told him yes on both accounts. Then I told him about the po'boy and biscuits and gravy at the Rammer Jammer and so he insisted on us having lunch there tomorrow."

"Guess I'll have to put on a clean shirt in the mornin,'" Wade commented. Zoe laughed.

"You're not the one who has to impress," she told him. She stood and moved over to him, took a seat in his lap. He wrapped an arm around her and she rested against him. She kissed him on the cheek before resting her head on shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "With him being here and all?"

"I think so. I don't know. It's weird having him here. He asked me what kind of parents I would have if I had the chance to pick them out. I said ones that would always be there, not leave me." She looked up at Wade. "Does that make me weak?" Wade frowned.

"Why'd that make you weak?" he asked. "I think it makes you honest. You parents won't there for you. You wish they were. Nothing wrong with that. I wish the same thing myself." Zoe looked up at him, studying him for a long while. They were so different and yet in some of the most critical ways, they were cut from the same cloth.

"I felt weak confessing that," she admitted. "But he needed to know." She wanted to change the subject. She played with the buttons on his shirt. "I was thinking… Why do you live at Lavon's? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you do. This would have never happened if I weren't fighting you for electricity or the last cup of coffee day in and day out. But you've got this successful business and all – why not live closer to town or maybe buy a place out near your dad?"

"It just happened," Wade said, which was more or less the truth. "I wanted to be closer to the Rammer Jammer when I took it over and Lavon offered up the gate house until I found a place. I just ain't never left. Never had a reason to. Good thing too. Like you said, this wouldn't have happened." He jostled Zoe playfully.

"Who would have ever thought I'd fall for a bar owning, electricity hogging, guitar playing, plaid wearing guy from Alabama?" she commented, settling back against him comfortably.

"Probably the same people who said I'd end up risking my reputation for a fast-talking, short short wearing, bossy Yankee doctor," Wade countered. Zoe chuckled.

"Risking your reputation?" she asked.

"Yeah. It seems gettin' a girlfriend and makin' it all Facebook officially disproved any and all claims that I, Wade Kinsella, am a ladies' man."

"I am so very sorry," Zoe said seriously.

"Oh I reckon I can forgive you," Wade countered. He leaned down and planted a kiss on Zoe's shoulder. He yawned.

"Let's go to bed," Zoe said, sitting up. "You're yawning, I didn't sleep last night and we've both got to work tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm openin' the Rammer Jammer," Wade agreed. He helped Zoe to her feet and stood as well before taking her hand and starting towards her house. It had become an unspoken agreement that they slept at one house or the other, together, each night. With their work schedules, it was really the only time they got to see each other unless they planned a date night in advance.

Inside, Wade pulled his shirt off and stripped down to his boxers. Zoe did the same, taking off her shirt and jeans until she was in her boy shorts and cami, Wade sneaking peeks with a small grin on his face. His girlfriend was hot and he didn't mind appreciating the view. He got into bed and waited for Zoe. He couldn't help but grin when she emerged.

"What?" she asked, slipping between the covers with him.

"You're beautiful," Wade said simply. A faint blush filled Zoe's cheeks as she settled down in her bed.

"Good night," she told him, pulling him down to her to kiss him goodnight.

"Night, Zoe," he replied. He kissed her one more time and then rolled over to turn the bedside lamp off, throwing them into darkness. Zoe laid her head on his chest and sooner rather than later, they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you're still reading. Thank you for reading and reviewing!<strong>


	23. All I Ever Wanted

**SURPRISE! Wow. I'm just as shocked as you that I finally – finally – managed an update. It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I kept getting comments, alerts, messages… And so far, I'm really loving this season of Hart of Dixie. So I decided to make an effort to find the time to update and have rekindled my excitement about this story. **

**I'll be just as surprised as ever if anyone is still reading this but fingers crossed you are! Thank you so much for being supportive of this story and acquiring to my whereabouts. You're all wonderful! **

**THINGS I OWN: The most precious yorkie puppy ever in life. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>"Did you wipe down the counters?" Wade asked Shelley as he re-filled the napkin holders lined up along the bar in front of him.<p>

"Yep," Shelley answered, popping her gum, her arms crossed.

"Polish 'em?"

"'Till they shine."

"Get all the glasses out of the dishwasher?"

"Even put 'em away in the rack, lined up all nice and neat and everything."

"Any water spots on 'em?"

"Oh for cryin' out loud!" Shelley finally exclaimed. "It's barely 9 o'clock in the morning! It's all just gonna get dirty again!"

"We're cleanin' this place up," Wade answered, returning the napkin holders to tables. "The health inspector could walk in here at any time and we'd be screwed." Shelley made a face.

"Your house might be a pigsty but the bar ain't never been below standards," she retorted. "Though I'd be curious to see your place these days. Bet it's at least as tidy as that new shirt you're wearin' now that you're datin' Zoe."

"Waterspots?" Wade asked again, exasperated with Shelley.

"None!" Shelley retorted. "I wiped 'em all off before I put 'em on the rack. You can see right through every single one." Tom Long came bustling through the door then, a sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead even though the morning temperature was relatively cool.

"How's outside lookin,' Tom?" Wade called.

"Picture-ready," Tom answered. "I took out all the trash and nailed down that loose railing while I was at it."

"Good work," Wade nodded in appreciation. "How about tacklin' the back alley while you're at it?"

"Sure thing, boss!" Tom said eagerly, already heading for the back door.

"Boss?" Shelley asked with a raised eyebrow. "Since when does he work here?"

"Since I have him a side job two hours ago," Wade answered. "He can take Wanda someplace besides the Burger Shack with what I'm payin' him. 'Sides, with it gettin' to be spring and all, someone had to look after the front and since its up to me to keep the inside runnin,' I had to hire someone." Shelley narrowed her eyes. Something was going on with Wade.

"Zoe got anything to do with this?" she asked, figuring Zoe was usually behind any sort of major change Wade made.

"Like I said, the health inspector…"

"Was in here two weeks ago and gave you a 96," Shelley interrupted. "Near perfect. So don't feed me that line of bull. Why are we working our fingers to the bone so early in the day?"

"Because I'm the boss and I sign your paychecks," Wade reminded her, tired of her questioning him. That did the trick. She spared him a dirty look before she turned and stomped off, snatching her dirty rag from a nearby table as she passed. He finished putting the napkin holders back then returned behind the bar. He drummed his fingers on the counter, thinking of what else he needed to do. The bell chimed again and he looked up to see Lavon.

"Bacon, egg and cheese biscuit to go, extra bacon," Lavon said, settling onto the stool in front of Wade. "And a large coffee."

"To go?" Wade asked. Lavon always ate his breakfast at the Rammer Jammer. "And extra bacon? Better not let Doc find out. Won't she just blastin' you 'bout your cholesterol?" Lavon narrowed his eyes at Wade.

"Lavon Hayes ain't scared of Zoe Hart and if Lavon Hayes wants extra bacon, then that's what Lavon Hayes is gonna get. And not that it's any of your business, but I have a meeting bright and early, trying to stop that mega store from building on the outskirts of town." Wade called back Lavon's order to the line cook.

"How's that goin' anyway?" he asked, leaning on the counter once more.

"George found a loophole," Lavon answered. "We went and got all the land owners out that way who's property the store would border to sign a petition. Even got your daddy to sign. With 100% opposition, they can't build. So no megastore for Bluebell." Lavon looked rather smug.

"Good. I won't too worried 'bout them runnin' me out of business – people still need a place to drink booze and watch football – but they woulda run the Dixie Stop right to the ground." Lavon nodded his agreement.

"The hardware store, gas station, probably even the bakery," he said, listing off the businesses he and George had managed to save with their petitions and loopholes.

"Just for the record, you are so scared of Zoe," Wade told him as he poured Lavon a large coffee to go.

"So are you," Lavon countered. Wade just shrugged good-naturedly. She was tiny but she could be fierce when she wanted to be. He only wished he had the good sense to get out of her way when she did wind herself into a temper, but she was cute when she was mad and he couldn't resist the urge to poke her just a little more when she was fit to be tied. The line cook called out that Lavon's order was up. Wade grabbed the bag and handed it to him.

"You know, this place sure is clean," Lavon commented, dropping a few bills on the counter to cover his breakfast. "Not that it's ever dirty, exactly. I'm just used to the bar being a little stickier."

"Zoe and her dad are coming in for lunch," Wade confessed, careful to keep his tone low so Shelley wouldn't overhear him. Lavon burst out laughing.

"If there is a God in Heaven, my meeting will be over in time for lunch," he said. "Wade Kinsella meets the parents."

"Is that why we're doin' all of this?" Shelley burst out, appearing out of thin air with a tray full of dirty dishes. "Because Zoe's dad is comin' in for lunch?" Wade could only look guilty. Shelley grinned broadly. "Wait 'till I tell Zoe!" Wade sighed and Lavon laughed.

"I'll see you folks later," Lavon said, heading towards the door. "Right around lunchtime, I reckon." Wade huffed and Shelley laughed loudly before Wade snapped at her to get to work. He was nervous enough without having Shelley teasing him at every turn.

He knew his nerves were somewhat misplaced. Zoe had once worshipped her father, but now their relationship was strained at best. But still – Dr. Ethan Hart was Zoe's father and he was Zoe's boyfriend. And he was Wade. He may have grown up a lot in the months since Zoe came into the picture, but his reputation preceded him in Bluebell and he was sure there were more than a few people in town willing to strike up a conversation with Dr. Hart about his daughter and her boyfriend.

"Oh! Hi, Dr. Hart! Nice to see you again!" Lavon's too-loud voice boomed through the bar. Wade spun on his heel just in time to see Lavon shaking Ethan Hart's hand and shooting Wade a 'did you hear me?' look. Wade gave him a minute nod to let him know he did, indeed, hear him. He hoped against hope Zoe would come breezing through the door at any moment, all the while knowing she wouldn't as she was seeing his father in her office that morning.

"Thanks again for the ride out to your plantation yesterday," Ethan was saying.

"Anytime," Lavon replied. He glanced at Wade, a bit of a grin on his face. "I really wish I could stay for breakfast, but I'm afraid I've got mayoral duties to take care of this morning." Wade rolled his eyes, deciding like he always did when he was irritated with Lavon that he wouldn't be voting for the man in the next election. He watched as Ethan made his way toward him. His silent prayer that Ethan would sit at an empty table so a waitress could serve him went unheard as the man sidled up to the bar. Wade sighed inwardly and decided to just bite the bullet.

"Mornin,' Dr. Hart," he said, sliding a menu in front of him. "Can I get you somethin' to drink? Coffee? Sweet tea? Fresh squeezed orange juice?"

"Cup of coffee would be nice," Ethan answered as he picked up the menu, sparing a glance for Wade. Wade turned to the coffeemaker and busied himself with pouring what he hoped would be the best cup of coffee Ethan would ever have – at least while in Bluebell. He could feel the doctor's eyes on him.

"Here you go," he said, sitting the mug down in front of Ethan. He grabbed a creamer and sugar from nearby. "Ready to order?" Ethan looked at him, studied him for a moment.

"My daughter says the pancakes are good. She also recommends the biscuits and gravy. What do you suggest?" Wade felt like he was being asked a test question he didn't know the answer to.

"Our biscuits and gravy are hard to beat," he said confidently. It was his mother's recipe – no one could top it. "Pancakes ain't bad neither. Tell you what, why don't I have the cook fix you up a plate of biscuits and gravy with a short stack on the side?"

"That's more carbs that I've eaten in years, but when in Rome…." Wade put in the doctor's order, adding instructions to rush it. When he turned back to the counter, he had no choice but to engage the man in conversation. "So how are you enjoyin' Bluebell so far?"

"It certainly is quaint," Ethan replied, still studying Wade. Wade caught the sarcasm in his voice. It reminded him of Zoe when she first got to town. Somehow though, he didn't think the quirky small town would grow on Ethan the same way it had Zoe.

"Can I get you something else while you wait?" Wade asked. He squirmed uncomfortably and reached for his own mug of now cold coffee.

"The coffee will do, but I'd be happy to discuss your relationship with my daughter." Wade choked on his coffee.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Zoe told me you're her boyfriend. I was given strict instructions to stay away from here until our lunch date but she's already furious with me so I decided what's one more indiscretion and came to pay a visit to the man my daughter is calling 'boyfriend.'"

"Oh… Well… Um…" Wade fumbled to find something to say in response.

"She seems happy. She said you treat her well, have been looking out for her since the day she got here."

"My mama raised me to be a gentleman," Wade replied. "And sir, no offense, but Zoe needed all the looking out for she could get when she first moved her. Still does, to tell the truth. She can stitch up a wound just as neat and tidy as you please but when it comes to changin' a fuse…"

"A fuse?" Ethan questioned.

"To the fuse box. We share one out on the plantation. It's older – you overload it and it blows. She's always blowin' fuses with her girl tools and that fancy coffeemaker she's got."

"I'm sure she didn't have to worry about that in her loft in New York."

"Probably not," Wade agreed.

"The owner of the bed and breakfast – Mrs. Jones? – she seemed to know you well." Wade started to pray for an interruption, any interruption, to take him away from this conversation. Mrs. Jones did know him well. And she wasn't his biggest fan. "Apparently you and her daughter used to have a bit of a relationship before you broke the girl's heart."

"We were young," Wade said by way of explanation. "It really wasn't so much a relationship either. I mean, it was a long time ago and I made some bad decisions…"

"We've all made our share of bad decisions," Ethan said, saving Wade from further trying to explain while not revealing that actually, he and Tracy Jones had been nothing more than friends with benefits and the benefits had expired when she'd caught him fooling around with Ellie Martin behind the Rammer Jammer. "Mrs. Jones did say you were 'smitten' with my Zoe though."

"Sir, I care an awful lot about your daughter," Wade told him sincerely. "She drives me crazy five days out of seven, but I wouldn't have it any other way." He wanted to turn the tables and discuss the man's relationship with Zoe, point out that while his previous reputation didn't boast well for him as the boyfriend, Ethan as a father didn't fare much better but he didn't. He preferred to be on Zoe's good side, especially while her father was in town.

"I'm told she's doing well here, thriving, even, according to her mother."

"She had a rough start but she's comin' around," Wade replied. "Bit of a culture shock for her."

"Not to mention a downgrade in medical practice," Ethan added.

"It's not the surgical wing of New York's finest hospital, but she's had her share of interestin' cases," Wade said. "Delivered a baby with complications during George Tucker and Lemon Breeland's engagement part. Then there was that farmer she saved after his tractor accident. She found out what was making the football team sick. And she's takin' care of my dad which can't be easy." Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with your dad?" he asked.

"Cirrhosis of the liver," Wade answered somewhat begrudgingly. Had it not been Zoe's father he would have told him to mind his business. "Which brought on liver cancer."

"Advanced?"

"Seems to be. He's opted not to seek treatment."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that," Ethan said genuinely. "He's in good hands with my daughter though."

"He is," Wade confirmed. He was saved from further discussion with the arrival of Dr. Hart's food. He excused himself, never happier to see George Tucker walk in and take a seat. "Breakfast is on the house if you can come up with a plan to keep me busy."

"Why?" George asked. He glanced around at the bar that was slowly filling up with people in for their usual morning meal. "Well, I guess business is pretty slow today." Wade decided to ignore George's sarcasm.

"Zoe's dad is sittin' at the counter havin' breakfast," he told him. "He won't supposed to be here 'till lunchtime – with Zoe. I'm pretty sure he thinks Zoe's too good for me. Which she is but I don't need to be reminded of that. I've never even met a dad before. At least not one chasin' me off with a shotgun. What am I supposed to stand up there and talk about with him?" George burst out laughing.

"You're freaking out," he announced, more than amused at his friend's predicament.

"Am not."

"Are too," George retorted. "I feel like I should get my camera out – Wade Kinsella meets Zoe Hart's father, a man who, as you have already pointed out, is not carrying a shotgun. At least not yet. This needs to be documented for posterity."

"And here I thought you was my friend," Wade muttered, making George laugh again.

"You know, come to think of it, I reckon Dr. Hart could kill you and cut you up into little tiny pieces real nice and neat, with his surgical background and all. He'd even have access to the supplies to clean up and disinfect the crime scene so there isn't so much a speck of evidence. Heck, his daughter probably could too."

"You're payin' for breakfast," Wade informed him, making George laugh yet again. He turned to walk away.

"Wade! I haven't ordered yet!" George called after him.

"You're gettin' the usual," Wade called back. "I should spit in it," he added to himself before giving the cook George's order. He checked in on Dr. Hart, refilled his coffee and was never more relieved to see the entire group of Belles, including Lemon Breeland, walk through the door.

"Getting busy," Ethan commented.

"Always is," Wade said with a grin. As he went to work pouring coffee for the Belles he said a silent thank you that Dr. Hart was at least seeing firsthand how successful his bar was, despite an owner with no college education.

* * *

><p>"Zoe?"<p>

Zoe looked up from the charts she was updating to find Addie standing in the doorway of her office. "Your….I mean, Dr. Hart…" Addie stumbled over her words, trying to land on the right phrase.

"Dad," Zoe supplied, realizing her predicament. "For now, we're calling him Dad." Addie gave a guilty sort of smile.

"Well, your dad is in the waiting room. He'd like to see you if you're free."

"Send him back," Zoe directed. "And FYI, we're only calling him 'Dad' for now. It's subject to change."

"Of course it is," Addie mumbled as she walked out the door. Zoe continued working, deciding to at least seem busy. She heard voices and moments later, Ethan tapped on her doorframe then stepped inside.

"You're here early," Zoe said by way of greeting.

"I've already seen all there is to see of the town this morning. All that's left is the doctor's office." Ethan looked around the office. "It's… quaint. I keep using that word but it's the only thing I can come up with to describe Bluebell."

"It doesn't look like much, but it gets the job done," Zoe replied, feeling strangely defensive of the practice despite having made the exact same judgments her first days in Bluebell. Except she'd liked to use the term 'backwards' to describe the town. It still crept into her vocabulary every now and then when a new, strange Bluebell tradition she hadn't experienced yet crept up.

"It doesn't look like there's much by way of diagnostic tools," Ethan commented. "I assume patients who need further testing get sent to Mobile?"

"We can do basic imagery," Zoe told him. She was proud of the fact that their little town had an x-ray machine and an ultrasound. From what she'd learned about small town medicine, that was a rarity. "But for anything more extensive, we do refer patients to Mobile. Or Pensacola, depending on the circumstances."

"Any interesting cases this morning?" Ethan took a seat in the chair across from Zoe's desk.

"Routine checkup on the Jeffersons' newborn twin girls, a case of strep throat and the Tarelton twins found the first poison ivy vine of the season and promptly rolled around in it. All and all a diverse and exciting morning." Zoe realized as she listed off her patients that instead of being bitter that she wasn't cutting into their chests, she actually meant what she'd said about diverse and exciting.

"I met a young woman who spoke highly of you at the – Dixie Stop? You delivered her baby."

"Mabel," Zoe confirmed. "She was my first patient. I delivered her little girl at the Breeland's during an engagement party. Did an episiotomy and everything. Totally ruined Brick's couch which was great. She named her daughter after me – Eleanor Zoe. Ellie's due in next week for a checkup come to think of it." Ethan studied Zoe with the same eye he used to scrutinize test results of a patient he was about to operate on. "What?" she demanded after several moments. Ethan shook his head.

"Nothing," he said, shelving his thoughts for the time being. "You were right about the biscuits and gravy at the Rammer Jammer. Delicious. The pancakes weren't bad either." It was Zoe's turn to study him but with an eye that was more accusatory than thoughtful.

"You had breakfast at the Rammer Jammer?" she questioned. Visions of her father judging Wade and the rest of Blue Bell or at the very least, being his usual high maintenance self, played out in her mind. "Doesn't the bed and breakfast serve breakfast? I mean, it is a bed and breakfast which usually means there's breakfast…"

"I behaved myself," Ethan said, holding his hands up in a peace gesture. "That Wade of yours was busy. I didn't have much of a chance to talk to him."

"It is the only place to go for breakfast besides the Butter Stick," Zoe said. "And as you now know, the food is fantastic – although not calorie-free. You need to pop in a Jillian Michael's DVD after you've eaten there. But Wade works really hard and he does a great job. I mean, did you meet Shelley? Sweet girl. But a little insane. That's what he has to work with…"

"Zoe," Ethan interrupted. "Take a breath." Zoe stopped and breathed in.

"Sorry," she said. "I got a little carried away. It's just… I know how you are. Wade isn't a doctor or a lawyer or some super powerful businessman so you automatically consider him a lesser man…"

"Now hold on," Ethan interrupted again. "No one said anything of the sort. I've only met him briefly, but he seems like a decent guy. Your mother speaks highly of him, at least."

"Well he did save me from a crazed, drug-dealing guy that I was sort of dating while Mom was visiting for Thanksgiving," Zoe retorted. "Not that you'd know anything about that little adventure."

"Your Mom filled me in."

"When?" Zoe asked. "You didn't even know I had a boyfriend until you showed up here yesterday."

"I called her last night," Ethan answered. "I had let her know I was coming to visit, she asked me to check in, let her know how you're doing. I asked her if she knew about Wade and she was off, telling me how much she liked him. Wade mentioned you were treating his father. Cirrhosis of the liver?"

"Advanced," Zoe confirmed. "And Type 2 diabetes and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. He's opted to forgo treatment so we're focusing on palliative care. He was in this morning, actually. He likes to make his appointments bright and early, before business hours."

"He'll die without treatment. He knows that, right?"

"Of course he does! I'm a doctor. It's part of my oath to give my patients all the information I can about their condition as well as all their treatment options and prognoses. Do you really think I'd leave out the part where Earl dies without treatment?"

"Forgive me," Ethan replied, appearing a lot more patient with Zoe than he felt. "I forget that you're no longer a student of medicine but an actual, practicing doctor."

"Well you did miss my journey through medical school."

"Why don't you show me your practice?" Ethan asked, tactfully changing the subject. "Then we can head to lunch." Zoe studied him for a long moment, trying to figure out his motives.

"Fine," she finally said. She stood and led the way down the hallway and to the waiting room. It was empty. Addie was seated behind the desk. "This is Addie, the best secretary ever," she said. "Addie, this is Dr. Ethan Hart, my father."

"Nice to formally meet you, Dr. Hart," Addie said, standing and offering her hand. "We've grown fond of your daughter around here. Took a while, but she's grown on us." Addie winked at Zoe who gave her a scowl in return.

"Zoe does speak highly of Bluebell," Ethan said politely.

"Shall we continue?" Zoe asked, eager to get her father away from Addie before he said anything offensive about the town, the practice or – tour was quick as the practice was small. She quickly showed him the exam rooms and what few diagnostic tools they had, even stopping by the supply room for good measure. She stopped outside Brick's office and knocked on the doorframe before entering.

"Brick, I'm going to lunch. But before I go, let me introduce you to my – father – Dr. Ethan Hart. Dad, this is Dr. Brick Breeland, my partner."

"Partner?" Brick asked Zoe with an amused sort of expression before turning to Ethan. Zoe made a face at him behind his back. "Pleasure to meet you," he said. "Your body of work is impressive to say the least."

"Thank you," Ethan responded. Zoe could sense tension building in the room though she couldn't place why. "I'm sure your own body of work is impressive in its own way."

"For a small town doctor, it's not bad," Brick shot back but with a smile Zoe had learned was a weapon among Southerners to make even the most offensive comment seem coated in sugar. "Your daughter is an impressive doctor as well – but I'm sure you know that. Her real father, Harley? He was one hell of a doctor. He was also a great man."

"Real father?" Ethan asked, immediately on the defensive. "Just because she has his biology doesn't mean…"

"You'd have a lot more leg to stand on if you'd be around for Zoe here," Brick interrupted. Ethan opened his mouth but Zoe, who had been thrown by the sudden shift in conversation and left momentarily speechless by Brick's out of character protectiveness over her, regained her composure.

"We should get going," she said, taking her father by the elbow. "Wade will be waiting for us." She could tell both Ethan and Brick wanted to say more but Zoe managed to guide him out the door before they could.

"Where does he get off?" Ethan erupted as soon as Zoe got him outside. "Implying that I wasn't your father…"

"You implied he was nothing more than a two-bit doctor in a one horse town who slaps band aids on paper cuts," Zoe pointed out.

"Well that's about right, isn't it?" Zoe scoffed.

"If he is, then so am I," she reminded him. "If I've learned anything in the months that I've been here, it's that general medicine isn't just about band aids on paper cuts or calamine lotion on a poison ivy. It's about getting to know your patient, knowing how many cats they have or that they win the pie contest at the fair every year. You develop a relationship with them. You care about them. And in turn, they trust you with their overall health – and the health of their families. That's a huge responsibility, taking care of someone's entire family. Even if it's just a band aid or calamine lotion and not as impressive as a heart transplant or quadruple bypass."

Ethan looked at her. "Are you considering – staying – in this place?" he asked, deciding to get right down to one of the things he'd come to Bluebell to discuss with her. "Are you considering throwing away all that talent to treat mosquito bites?" Zoe sighed. That was the million dollar question.

"I don't know," she admitted. "It's something I need to think about."

"You can't just go through years of school and residency only to work 9-5 in an old converted house."

"I work 8-5 – and nights and weekends, when someone needs me," she corrected him, thinking back to how her mother had encouraged her to follow her heart over Christmas while her father was standing there encouraging her to be logical. She knew how to be logical. Following her heart though – that was something she was learning a little more about day by day.

"I'm just saying you're too good for this – too good of a doctor, a surgeon. Why would you give that all up to work alongside a condescending brute of a man seeing patients with diaper rash and the common cold?" Ethan stopped on the sidewalk to look at her. "Is it that boy?" he asked. "Is he the reason you're considering staying?" Zoe had had enough. She turned to face him head on.

"You realize you don't have a leg to stand on in this, right?" she asked, her temper and voice rising. She momentarily forgot she was in the middle of Bluebell's town square. "You haven't been a part of my life in years. Even before you knew I wasn't your daughter, you weren't there for me. I've spent my entire life trying to get your approval, trying to get you to pay attention to me. I wanted to be a surgeon because you told me to be a surgeon. Maybe I wanted to be a GP instead. Or a fashion designer. Or even a freaking astronaut. But I didn't because you told me I wanted to be a surgeon.

"Just now? With Brick? It's not that he doesn't have a resume of fancy surgeries to compare to yours. It's that he called you out on abandoning me. He knows a thing or two about what it feels like to be abandoned and while he can be the biggest ass this side of the Mississippi, he's a damn good doctor and a good person. He knew and respected Harley Wilkes and he's one of the only connections I have to the man I didn't even know existed until I graduated med school.

"And whether or not I stay in Bluebell when my year is up? That's my decision. It's mine. It'll be the first decision I make on my own, for the right reasons, in a very long time. If I stay, it won't be because of Wade or Brick or the practice or even to spite you. It will be because I want to." Zoe paused to take a breath.

"I think it's best if you head back to the bed and breakfast, pack your things, and head to the bus stop. The next bus to Mobile leaves in about an hour. I'm sure there's a patient with a blockage or an embolism that needs your help. Meanwhile, I have what seems to be a case of strep throat coming into my office at 2:00."

Zoe turned on her heels and stomped away, ignoring the calls of her father and the stares of the rest of Bluebell. She stormed into the practice, grateful to find both Addie and Brick had left for lunch, and locked herself in her office. It wasn't until Addie beat on her door two hours later to let her know her next appointment was there that she remembered she was supposed to meet Wade for lunch.

* * *

><p>It was well past dinnertime when Zoe finally returned to the plantation. Ethan had called her at least a half dozen times and the town had been buzzing in her wake over their showdown in the town square. She spied Wade's figure sitting on her porch steps and felt her stomach turn over, a mix of the butterflies she always felt when he was around and apprehension. She had texted him to say she was sorry for missing lunch and he'd replied with a 'don't worry about it' but that had been the extent of their conversation. She was sure he knew all about what had transpired between her and her father.<p>

"Hi," she said softly as she approached him.

"Hey," he said just as softly. She climbed the stairs and sat down beside him, just a fraction of space between them. "How you doin'?" he asked.

"Won't be the first – or last – time I'm the center of Bluebell's gossip web." She could see Wade's half grin in the weak moonlight that managed to filter down through the clouds that were rolling in.

"I was startin' to think I needed to come find you," he said. "It's gettin' late."

"It was easier to sit in my office, doors closed, curtains drawn, than to face the rest of Bluebell," she admitted. Wade wrapped an arm around her and she took it as an invitation to rest her head on his shoulder. She felt the tension and stress of the day melt away and couldn't chase away thoughts about how right it felt, sitting on her front porch in the dead of night in the middle of nowhere Alabama, with Wade, as the wind started to pick up and tree frogs croaked, the scent of rain in the air. They stayed like that for a while, long enough for the moon to disappear completely behind thick storm clouds and the wind to go from a light breeze to something a little more sinister.

"Zoe, I don't want you to stay here because of me."

Wade's words cut through not only the darkness but Zoe too. She lifted her head from his shoulder and felt his arm tighten around her to keep her close as she did. They had been dancing right up to this conversation for a while now, always changing the subject before they broke open the surface. Now, there was no way around it.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told my dad," she said, being sure to look him in the eye. "If I stay here, it will be my decision. I won't lie and say that you won't have any influence in making it. But while you're the only person I sleep with in Bluebell, you're not the only person here that I care about. So you will play a part in my decision. But so will Lavon. Rose. Earl. Even Addie and Brick. Tom Long. Shelley. The Tarleton twins. All those babies I've delivered. What I decide – whatever it is – will be my decision."

"I just don't want to hold you back," Wade said quietly. Zoe could hear a hint of pain in his voice. "I don't want you to give up a dream you've had your whole life and stay here, only to regret it later." He moved just enough for him to look right in her eyes. "I don't want you to resent me."

Zoe leaned forward and kissed him softly. "This dream I have of being a surgeon? I'm not even sure it's my dream anymore. It may have never been my dream to begin with. And I could never, ever resent you. You make me happy."

That's when it hit her.

Wade made her happy.

Wade made her heart speed up and the rest of the world slow down and sometimes even fall away. He made her feel safe, like nothing, not the wind blowing in a line of storms or her own person demons, could hurt her. He made her feel cherished, treated her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him.

She was in love with Wade.

The realization made her smile.

"What?" Wade asked, brushing her hair back from her face. Zoe shook her head, still smiling.

"Nothing," she said. She wasn't ready to say those words yet but she knew she would soon and found herself hoping he felt the same way.

"Sure 'bout that?" he asked. Zoe nodded and leaned in for another kiss. This time, Wade pulled her into his lap but instead of escalating things to a more physical level, he held her to him, content to have her close. They both instinctively knew their clothes would remain on tonight.

"You make me happy too, Zoe," Wade whispered before kissing her cheek. Their moment was interrupted by a long, low rumble of thunder that made Zoe jump. Wade chuckled. "It's just a storm rollin' in, Doc."

"Isn't it supposed to be severe?" Zoe asked. "Tornados maybe?"

"Strong storms, not severe, no tornadoes," Wade clarified. He found Zoe's fear of thunderstorms amusing. He also didn't mind that they made her tend to hold on to him a little tighter. He liked feeling needed by her. A flash of lightning lit up the sky. "How was Daddy's appointment today?"

"Quick," Zoe answered. "I did some blood work and checked his glucose levels. They were a little high so I gave him a shot of insulin to bring it under control. I also upped his pain medication. Not too much, but enough to make a difference. I don't want him to get dependent on it but I don't want him to suffer either."

"Ain't you just the bearer of great news?" Wade asked.

"I wish I could tell you better news," Zoe said. "I hate that I spend so much time telling you how bad things are for him."

"I'm just glad it's you treatin' him," Wade told her. "With Harley gone, he'd have never let Brick touch him." It thundered again, this one a little closer.

"Here you are, slowly losing your father while I fight in town squares with mine. You must think I'm the most selfish person in the world." Wade shook his head.

"I don't think you're selfish," he said. "I think you've been hurt and have every right to be upset."

"But you also think I should try to work it out with him."

"Try being the operative word. But no pressure."

"If he hasn't left Bluebell, I'll try to talk to him tomorrow," Zoe said, resigning herself to the fact that she did need to try to have a civil conversation with the man.

"He's still here," Wade confirmed. "He got Tom Long to drive him out here to see if you were home then stopped by my place to see if you were there. He said he'd be back tomorrow." Then Wade grinned mischievously. "But maybe you should lure him into the town square, put on a sequel to today's performance. I'm sure the old ladies would love to find out how it all ends."

"Shut up," Zoe said, playfully shoving his shoulder. "Although you do know how I love to be the center of Bluebell's gossip chain."

"We could give them somethin' to talk about," Wade said. "Like maybe this…" He pulled her to him to kiss her deeply. He was just starting to think that maybe clothes would be coming off tonight when a brilliant streak of lightning lit up the sky, followed quickly by a loud crack as the wind kicked up even more.

"We should go inside," Zoe said, already pulling away from him. Rain started to fall, big, heavy drops promising a downpour was imminent. He allowed her to stand then followed her inside. Another clap of thunder, this one the loudest yet, boomed out, causing Zoe to jump. Wade chuckled again at her fear of thunderstorms.

"It's okay," he told her, putting a hand on the small of her back to guide inside. "I've got you."

* * *

><p><strong>The song title for this chapter is "All I Ever Wanted" by Chuck Wicks <strong>

**Thanks for reading - no, really, THANK YOU!**


	24. Jesus Take The Wheel

**Oh my gosh! I can't believe how many of y'all are still reading! I was so surprised to see so many reviews for the last chapter, especially after so much time since the last update. I wish I could reply to each of you individually but I haven't had the chance. So please accept this as a personal thank you for reading and reviewing! **

**This chapter is getting into the real meat of the story. I hope you like it! And remember, I started this before we knew Wade had a brother so in my story, he's got a sister instead. Song that inspired this chapter – Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take The Wheel."**

**THINGS I OWN: A remarkable collection of glitter. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>Wade sat at Lavon's counter, sipping lukewarm coffee and picking at a soggy bowl of cereal, deep in thought.<p>

Daddies didn't like him. They liked him as the guy who served their beer or helped them out when need arose. They didn't like him as the guy who dated their daughters. He reckoned that was because he didn't really 'date' their daughters – at least not until Zoe.

It hadn't bothered him that daddies didn't like him. It had amused him, even. He'd snuck in and out of more windows than anyone would ever know. One time, he'd even barely made it to his truck and out the driveway before Becky Lynn Fisher's daddy was after him with a shotgun. It had been his thing. He was the guy who didn't settle down or take anything besides his bar seriously.

Zoe had changed everything.

It wasn't just that he was monogamous or that his Facebook status read 'in a relationship.' He had taken to picking up after himself, washing his clothes more than once a month. Just two days earlier, he'd made himself a salad for lunch. He wasn't becoming a different person by any means – he still played his guitar and too many video games and he still used every come on line he could think of on Zoe to get her into bed and teased her just because he could. He was just becoming a better version of himself, more of a grown up. And truth be told, he liked it.

He didn't know for sure that Zoe's dad didn't like him. Their breakfast run in hadn't been awful the day before and when Dr. Hart had shown up looking for Zoe that night, he hadn't given Wade any reason to believe he didn't like him. All Wade had to go on was the fact that daddies never liked him. And that Dr. Hart though he would convince Zoe to stay in Bluebell.

Selfish though it was, he wanted nothing more than for Zoe to stay. She was just a couple months away from her one year mark. It scared him to his core to think of her leaving. He knew he'd never go with her. His life, his family, his business was in South Alabama. If she asked him to… Well, he couldn't think of that. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Lavon come downstairs.

"Uh oh," he said. Wade looked up, startled by the noise.

"What?"

"You're just sitting here, drinking coffee, eating frosted flakes so soggy they look more like oatmeal… Lover's quarrel? If so, I don't want to hear about it."

"Nah, no quarrel," Wade said. He stirred at his cereal. "Just thinkin' 'bout stuff." Lavon poured his own mug of coffee and sat down beside Wade.

"I'm might regret asking this but anything you want to talk about?" Wade didn't say anything. Lavon sighed inwardly, irritated at himself that he couldn't let it go. He was becoming worse than a woman and he blamed Zoe for it. "Got anything to do with Dr. Hart? The female not the male?" Wade took a deep breath before facing Lavon.

"Zoe's year is up in like, two months," he said. "And I don't want her to leave. But I also don't want her to stay because of me. I don't want to be what holds her back from getting everything she's ever wanted. I know what it's like to be held back, to end up resenting someone. I don't want to be that person for Zoe."

Lavon nodded.

"Her year mark is coming up," he agreed. "Between me and you, I don't want her to leave neither. I give her a hard time for being a pain my side but she is a good friend. Even if she does treat me like I'm a girlfriend half the time." Lavon looked at Wade seriously. "If she does stay, we've got to find her a female friend – besides Rose." Wade grinned a little and nodded in agreement.

"We talked about it some last night. She says if she stays that it'll be for her, be her decision. She's so strong and independent that a lot of me believes that. But people do stupid stuff for love." Lavon raised an eyebrow.

"Love?" he asked. "I knew it was serious but…" Wade shrugged.

"Ain't it obvious?" he asked Lavon. "I've been in love with her for a while. Just ain't told her yet."

"Any why not?"

"Just ain't never been the right time, I guess. And sayin' that… It's a big deal and well, I ain't said it in a long, long time." Lavon sighed.

"You should tell her," he said. "What if she does decide to leave? You want her to go without knowing you love her?" Slowly, Wade nodded.

"I'd rather her not know how I feel than tell her and she stay here because of it." Lavon scoffed.

"You done said and done a lot of stupid things over the years. This, by far, is the stupidest yet."

"Maybe," Wade agreed. "But it's what I think is right." Lavon shook his head.

"I know where this is coming from," he told Wade. "But that was a long, long time ago. You're thirty years old. She's thirty years old. In theory, you're two functioning, mature adults. You should be able to have a mature conversation. Just tell the girl how you feel. And then let her make her own decisions. Whatever happens will happen but you can't sit there, being in love with the girl and not letting her know."

"Let me handle this my way, Lavon," Wade said. He stood and dumped his cereal down the garbage disposal. A thought struck Lavon.

"Does Zoe know about…"

"No," Wade said, sharply, cutting Lavon off. "She don't and she won't."

"Well ain't this a relationship destined for success?" Lavon asked. "Keepin' all kinds of secrets…"

"And they'll stay that way," Wade warned. He started for the door, figuring it time to get on with the rest of his day.

"Remember that game against Lakeside your junior year?" Wade stopped and turned to Lavon. "Bluebell was down by 5, 30 seconds left on the clock. Lakeside punted the ball and put us deep into our own territory."

"We couldn't run the ball for nothing," Wade added, remembering the game. "Their D-line was nasty." Lavon nodded.

"They snuffed us on first down, coach called the last time out to stop the clock. On second and ten, we lost three yards, clock is ticking, hurry up offense in play, 13 seconds on the clock. Ball snaps, you drop back to pass, hit Marcus Fletcher with a beautiful, textbook pass. He flies into the endzone, Bluebell wins by a point."

"Secured us winning the division," Wade remembered, looking nostalgic. Lavon nodded.

"That was the first time I saw you play in person," he said. "I knew then you were going to be something special." He stopped and made sure he was looking right at Wade before he spoke again. "And I was right."

Wade swallowed hard, taking in Lavon's words. Then he nodded.

"Thanks, Lavon," he said. Then he was out the door.

* * *

><p>Zoe sat at her carefully chosen table of the Butter Stick, an eye on the door, the other glancing at all the other tables, wondering if the one by the door would be better or perhaps the one in the opposite corner from where she was now. The morning rush was over and she still had time before the lunch crowd filtered in. Besides Mrs. Bell behind the counter and a couple of older women seated in the window, the place was empty. She reassured herself that this was the best place to have a conversation with her father.<p>

As though on cue, Ethan Hart walked in. He was dressed down, in jeans and a button down, tucked in and belted. Seeing him in casual dress made Zoe relax just a little. She'd rarely seen him in something besides scrubs or suits and the few times she'd spent time with him in jeans had good memories attached to them.

"Zoe," he said cautiously as he approached the table.

"Dad," Zoe replied. She nodded at the empty chair across from her and waited until he'd been served a cup of coffee before speaking any further. "Thanks for meeting me here."

"Thank you for calling," Ethan replied. He took a deep breath. "I owe you an apology."

"More than one," Zoe quipped. "Sorry," she added, knowing she needed to keep her temper under control.

"I deserved that," Ethan replied. "And you're right. I do owe you several. I'll start with yesterday. I was out of line. I know you, Zoe. You're strong. You're stubborn. No one has ever been able to tell you what to do or how to do it. It's one of your best traits. It's also one of your worst." Zoe grinned in spite of herself.

"What I'm saying is that I know whatever you ultimately decide – whether it's to stay here or return to New York – it will be your decision and yours alone. While there's no secret that I want you to be a surgeon, what is more important is to do what makes you happy. I was thinking last night about how I haven't always done what makes me happy. In fact, I've rarely done what makes me happy. I don't want you to make the same mistake."

"I thought surgery is what made you happy," Zoe said. "That's what you always said. Maybe not those exact words but you always talked so passionately about it…"

"Surgery does make me happy. But there were times – a lot of times – when a routine bypass could have and should have gone to another doctor but I did it instead and ended up missing my daughter's dance recital or her fourth grade school play. Despite the evidence to the contrary, I love you very much, Zoe. I regret choosing surgery over you so often."

"I don't understand," Zoe said. "You're talking about how much you love me and yet you wouldn't even return my phone calls." Ethan sighed.

"You have to understand how hard it was for me to learn you weren't mine," he said. "I had this beautiful, perfect little daughter who wanted to be just like me. To learn you weren't mine hurt deeper than you can possibly imagine.

"And I was angry. I was very angry at your mother. I still am, in all honesty. She not only had an affair. She lied to me our entire marriage. All of that anger, all of that hurt… Looking at you just made it bubble to the surface. I know that sounds terrible. You weren't in any way at fault and yet I could hardly look at you for the gut wrenching pain I felt."

Ethan fell silent, letting Zoe take in what he'd said. She played with her half empty coffee mug, spinning it slowly in her hands. Finally, she looked up, her brown eyes full of vulnerability.

"I can understand that," she said quietly. "It's sort of how I felt. Mom lied to me my whole life. For a while, even conjuring up an image of her in my head made me want to throw things. I had all this pent up anger towards you for never being around and then I find out I wasn't even yours to begin with. Truth be told, I'm still angry with her, but I'm working on it." She looked at Ethan. "I'm still mad at you too. But I'm willing to try and work on things. If you are, of course."

Ethan's shoulders sagged with relief. "I am," he told her. "I know being here now doesn't necessarily make up for years and years of my not being there but hopefully it's a start." Zoe nodded.

"A start," she agreed. "But you have to promise to always return my phone calls. And to call me sometimes too. Maybe even visit every once in a while – whether I'm in Alabama or New York."

"I promise," Ethan said. "You have to promise me something in return though, okay?" Zoe waited. "Promise you'll do what makes you happy. Not what you think you're supposed to do. Not what you think will make me happy or your mother happy or even your preschool teacher happy. Just do what will make you, Zoe, happy." Zoe nodded.

"I promise," she said. She reached out a hand. "Shake on it?"

"It's a deal," Ethan said, shaking her hand. Then he chuckled. "I've missed you, Zoe." Zoe smiled.

"I've missed you too."

"Dr. Hart! Dr. Hart!" Their moment was interrupted by the chimes of the Tarleton twins who had just walked through the door with their rather harried looking mother.

"Girls! Is that poison ivy I see?" Zoe asked, standing and walking over to them. She crouched down and carefully took the nearest girl's arm in her hands. It was covered with a red, itchy rash.

"Yep!" the girls answered together. "We got it playing in the creek down by Crazy Earl's," one of them explained. "Mama took him a casserole and we played outside while she was visiting. She's not too happy with us."

"I'll bet," Zoe said seriously, remembering how frustrated Mrs. Tarleton was the last time her twins had gotten into poison ivy.

"I just don't know what to do with them anymore, Dr. Hart," Mrs. Tarleton said, stepping away from the counter where she'd placed her order. "I was going to bring them by the practice this afternoon. I had to go pick them from school. Both of them were so squirmy from itching that they were causing a distraction. They're drawn to that stuff like white on rice."

Zoe studied both of the girls for several moments, thinking. She was aware but not phased that her father was nearby, listening and watching. A thought occurred to her that suddenly connected a few dots. "Say, isn't the Lion King you favorite movie?"

"It's times like this my buddy Timon here says 'you got to put your behind in your past,'" one of the girls said seriously, quoting her favorite line of the movie.

"No, no, no. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself. It's 'You got to put your past behind you,'" the other twin added, finishing the exchange. Zoe grinned.

"So a lot of the Lion King takes place in the jungle, right?" she asked. The girls nodded.

"Only the best parts!" one of them said. "The parts with Timon and Pumbaa. They're our favorites!"

"And do you sometimes like to pretend you're in the Lion King?"

"That's what we were doing at the creek!" one of them said. "Wrestling like Nala and Simba did when Nala found him in the jungle! It was my turn to be Nala." Zoe smiled, having cracked the mystery of why the pair were always covered in poison ivy.

"Girls, it's great that you love to play pretend," she explained. "But you have to be really careful when you do. Not only could you hurt each other on accident while you're wrestling, but I'll bet while you were playing by Earl's creek you saw a vine to swing on, didn't you?"

"I think it mighta been the poison ivy," one of the twins said.

"I think it was," Zoe agreed. "You have to promise me that from now on, when you're playing pretend, you won't swing on any vines, okay? It's not just dangerous because it might be poison ivy. A vine could break and you could fall and get really hurt. Then you'd have to lay around in bed getting better instead of playing pretend and how boring would that be?"

"Real boring," one of the girls answered seriously, as though the idea was the worst thing she'd ever heard.

"Exactly. So you promise me you'll stay away from vines?"

"Promise!" both of them said in unison. Zoe stood and turned to Mrs. Tarleton who was looked both relieved and shocked that Zoe had come to such a conclusion.

"I would have never thought… I know their obsession with that movie is a little over the top. But I had no idea they were pretending to be in the jungle. It explains so much – the poison ivy, some bumps and bruises."

"Hopefully they'll keep their promise to stay away from vines," Zoe said, glancing at the twins. "I'm heading back to the practice now. Bring them by when you're done here and I'll write them a prescription for something a little stronger than calamine. It looks like they've got a pretty nasty case of it this time."

"Absolutely. Thank you, Dr. Hart."

"Anytime," Zoe said with a smile. "And thank you for taking the time to visit Earl. I know it means a lot to Wade, even if he doesn't say it."

"We're neighbors," Mrs. Tarleton replied. "It's what we do. Besides, I've known Earl since he was crazy in love with his wife and pushing his babies around town in a double stroller." She smiled at Zoe. "He was as crazy about his wife as Wade is about you." Zoe smiled again.

"Thank you," she said once more. "I'll see you and the girls in a bit." She gathered her things and she and Ethan left. It wasn't until they were outside on the sidewalk that Ethan spoke.

"That was impressive," he said. "And they say surgeons have no bedside manner."

"They don't," Zoe said pointedly. "GPs though… They have it on lock."

"On lock, huh?" Ethan asked with a grin. Zoe waved at Sheila Whittaker who was exiting the Dixie Stop with a bag full of cat food.

"On lock," she confirmed. She exchanged pleasantries with another Bluebell resident as they walked towards her practice.

Ethan knew he would be on a plane back to New York in a few hours and from there, would be returning to Germany. But he found himself hoping his daughter would never been on a plane to New York again as anything other than a visitor. It wasn't what he'd planned for her but she'd found her home in Bluebell. He just hoped she realized it.

* * *

><p>"How's your daddy doing?" Mark McComb asked as Wade handed him a bacon cheeseburger platter.<p>

"He's hangin' in there," Wade answered with a lot more patience than he felt. He knew they meant well, but he hated how people constantly asked him about Earl. "Tell your boy thank you again for mowing the grass the other day. I tried to pay him – my sister did too – but he wouldn't take a dime."

"Earl's our neighbor," Mark said with a wave of his hand. Wade nodded his head once before excusing himself to return to the bar. It wasn't lost on him that people had slowly dropped the 'crazy' before mentioning Earl. He was bringing out another couple of orders when he spied Ethan Hart walk through the door and head for the bar.

"Great," he muttered. He deposited the platters at their designated table then, against his will, returned to the bar. "What can I get for you, Dr. Hart?"

"Oh nothing for me," he said. "I can only stay a minute – got to get to Mobile to catch my flight home. I just told Zoe goodbye." Wade nodded, assuming Dr. Hart and Zoe's conversation had gone well as he hadn't come across an upset Zoe nor heard tales of a face off at the Butter Stick. "I wanted to speak with you if you have a minute."

Truthfully, Wade didn't have a minute. It was the middle of the lunch rush and he was slammed. But he also couldn't tell Dr. Hart no.

"I can spare a minute," he said. "We can step into my office if you'd like." He motioned for Ethan to come around the bar and then led him into his office. "What can I do for you?" he asked, shutting the door behind them.

"I wanted to talk to you about Zoe," Ethan said, cutting right to the chase. Wade waited. "I didn't get the chance to spend much time with you during my visit, but I want you to know that I think you're a good guy." Wade raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. This was definitely new. "I want to ask you, as her father, to keep an eye on her. She's stubborn and proud and won't ask for help for the world but sometimes, she needs it. At the very least, she needs a shoulder to cry on." Wade grinned.

"Sir, I know firsthand how stubborn your daughter can be," he said. "Just ask her about the gumbo contest or the Founder's Day parade. Heck, ask Rose Hattenbarger about the Miss Cinnamon pageant or even Brick about… Well, havin' to work with her. I know she's stubborn. But like you said, I also know when she needs someone. I promised her a while back that I'd always show up. And I'll promise you the same thing now."

"Thank you," Ethan said. "That makes leaving her a lot easier." Wade made to make a comment about how he'd never had a problem leaving her before but stopped himself. It wouldn't do any good. Ethan seemed to know what he was thinking however. "I know – I haven't always been there for her. But she and I talked and we're in a good place. It's just going to take time and work." Wade nodded.

"Sir, if I can speak candidly, she's worth it. She's probably not gonna make it easy on you. She likes to act a lot tougher than she really is. But she is worth it. Just remember that when she's makin' her sassy comments or givin' you a hard time about one thing or another." Ethan smiled at Wade and clapped him on the shoulder.

"You're a good man," he told Wade. "I've got to be going if I'm going to catch my flight."

"Have a safe trip," Wade said, extending his hand to shake Dr. Hart's. "It was nice meetin' you."

"Likewise," Ethan agreed, shaking Wade's hand. He left shortly after, saying one final goodbye. Wade remained in his office for a few moments, almost stunned at what had just happened. He finally shook his head with a little smirk on his face.

"What a day," he said. With another shake of his head, he returned to the bar.

* * *

><p>"Does it always get this hot, this fast, here?" Zoe asked, fanning herself dramatically as she sat on Wade's couch surrounded by almost empty takeout containers and an assortment of DVDs. Wade shrugged.<p>

"Depends," he said. "Some years we go straight from winter to summer, some years we don't."

"Well Bluebell definitely bypassed spring this year," Zoe complained. The corners of Wade's lips twitched upward. It was unseasonably warm for the end of March but Zoe was acting like they were slam in the middle of a late July heat wave. He figured he may as well take advantage of it.

"Well, you do remember the rules about heat waves," he said, reaching over to rest his hand on her bare leg. Zoe fixed him with a stare.

"I'm already sleeping with you. I don't need a free pass."

"Well, you could use it to do that thing I was talkin' 'bout…" Zoe socked him in the shoulder, making Wade laugh.

"In your dreams, cowboy."

"In my dreams indeed," Wade replied. "In Technicolor. High definition…."

"Idiot," Zoe mumbled making Wade laugh. He pulled her to him and despite the heat, she rested against him as they watched some martial arts movie he was fascinated by. It was nice, after the week they'd had, to spend time together, just the pair of them.

Zoe had been the on call doctor since her father had left three days earlier. Usually, she'd receive a call, maybe two on a busy on call stretch. This time around, it seemed like anyone and everyone in Bluebell had either gotten sick or injured. The entire senior citizens group that met at the community center on Wednesdays had gotten case of food poisoning thanks to some undercooked pork. Charlie Mabrey had fallen out of a tree and broke his arm. Sheila Whitaker tripped over one of her cats and twisted her ankle. Julie Wilkes had gone into labor. And on and on it had gone. She had barely slept, let alone had time to see Wade or even eat a proper meal, until tonight.

Wade on the other hand had been balancing his time between the Rammer Jammer and his dad. He and Meredith had fallen into a pattern of one of them staying with Earl, at least at night, as his health slowly deteriorated. Wade had been with him the last two nights before turning care over to Meredith for the weekend. While he was relaxing that night, he'd have to use Saturday and Sunday to catch up on things around the plantation while he wasn't at the bar. It was taxing but while he'd never admit it, he like the chance to spend some one on one time with Earl who was mostly sober these days, too weak to travel into town for his booze under his own power and no one else would bring it to him.

The movie ended and the credits started to roll. "Want another one?" Wade asked, indicating his beer bottle.

"Please," Zoe confirmed, sitting up to let him stand.

"You know, I got some other ideas about how you could use that free pass…"

"Get me drunk enough and you might convince me," Zoe quipped. Laughing, Wade disappeared into his kitchen. He heard Zoe's phone ring and a moment later, heard her talking, but didn't pay attention to what she was saying. He returned to the living room a couple minutes later with two open beers.

"Tell you what. Since I made you sit through…" he was about to offer her the chance to pick their next movie but realized she was off the sofa, the cardigan she'd shed `earlier back on as she pulled on her favorite old rain boots. "What are you…?"

"We've got to go," Zoe cut him off. "That was Meredith. Your dad is having trouble breathing and he's talking off. I told her we were on our way." Panic overtook Wade. He sat the beers down on the nearest surface and went for the boots he'd kicked off earlier.

"What else did she say?" Wade asked. "How long has he been doing this?"

"She didn't say much else," Zoe answered. She was already at the door, holding it open as she waited for Wade. "It's been about an hour or so now."

"And she's just now callin'?" Wade demanded as they headed out the door.

"We have to stop at my place. I need my bag."

"Hurry up," Wade told her as they climbed into his Camaro. "We've got to get out there."

* * *

><p>An hour or so later, Zoe emerged from what had once been the dining room but had since been converted into a bedroom of sorts for Earl. She tiptoed past Meredith's two children who were asleep on an air mattress in the living room. She found Wade, Meredith and Meredith's husband Eric sitting on the back porch. They all turned and looked at her expectantly.<p>

"He's stable," she told them, sitting down by Wade on the top porch stair. She angled herself so she could see him as well as Meredith and Eric who were swaying slowly in the porch sing. They all wore matching looks of anxiety, similar she was sure, to the one she wore as well. "I've given him some morphine and put him on oxygen. He's resting comfortably for now."

"What happened?" Wade asked. Zoe sighed. She hated everything about what she was about to say.

"His organs are shutting down," she told them. She didn't need to do any fancy tests at a hospital Earl would never go to to be able to tell them that. What she couldn't tell them was how far gone his organs were. "His liver was most likely functioning at a minimum when he initially came to see me. Organs are like dominoes. When one stops working, slowly, the rest of them follow."

"So what happens now?" Meredith asked. "Should we take him to the hospital?" Wade shook his head.

"He signed an advance directive, remember?" he asked. Zoe remembered then that Wade had been designated Earl's Power of Attorney. She felt physically ill as she thought of what she was about to say. "He doesn't want hospitals or anything of that sort. He wants to be comfortable, at home."

"So we do what?" Meredith pressed. Wade looked at Zoe to answer. She took a deep breath.

"Shoot straight, Doc," Wade told her. Zoe nodded. She summoned all her strength .

"As his doctor, I recommend bringing in hospice care." There was a collective intake of air. Zoe continued. "Given his advanced condition and the onset of organ failure, coupled with his wishes, I believe it's his best option. A decision doesn't need to be made tonight, but in the next few days, especially as his condition continues to deteriorate. He'll need around the clock care and the hospice nurses will be here to provide that. You all are of course welcome to be as hands on with Earl's care as you'd like and I'll still be heavily involved as his treating physician."

Silence fell following Zoe's grim prognosis. She watched Meredith and Wade look at one another, hundreds of silent questions flooding between them. She intuitively knew they needed some time alone to discuss everything. She excused herself to check on Earl. As she approached his room, she heard a small voice.

"Pappy, is you sick?"

Zoe stopped in the doorway to watch as McKenzie, perched on her grandpa's bed in her Cinderella nightgown and bare feet, held a conversation with a groggy Earl.

"Yep," Earl answered her. He sounded weak. "Pappy's real sick."

"You should get Mommy to make you some chicken noodle soup," McKenzie told him. "That's what she do when I's sick. And she lets me watch Disney. As much as I want."

"I don't think chicken noodle soup is gonna make Pappy feel better," Earl told her. Zoe watched, tears threatening her eyes, as Earl reached out with a shaky hand and took McKenzie's small one in his. "Pappy is real sick."

"Is that why Dr. Zoe is here?" McKenzie asked. "To help you feel better?"

"She's doin' her best," Earl answered. "Pappy loves you, you know that?"

"I love you too, Pappy," McKenzie answered with all the innocence of a four year old. "Guess what? I'm gonna be five years old real soon."

"In about a week, right?" McKenzie shrugged.

"I guess," she said. "My birthday is April 8. I don't know how far that is from now." Earl chuckled.

"It's 10 days," he said. Zoe smiled sadly. It was actually eleven, but who would she be to correct him?

"I'm gonna have a princess party. You gonna come, Pappy? All my friendes are. And Jacob too but Daddy says he has to 'cause he's my little brother."

"Pappy might still be sick then," Earl said gently. "But I'll get you a present, okay?"

"I like princesses," McKenzie said seriously. Earl chuckled again. "Pappy, what's the tube in your nose?"

"It's helping Pappy breathe."

"It looks funny."

"Feels funny too." McKenzie giggled, getting a smile out of Earl. Earl coughed several times in a row. "Pappy's gonna go back to sleep," he said. "You should too."

"Okay," McKenzie said. With gentle hands, she pulled Earl's blanket around him and then leaned down to kiss him on his forehead, just like her mom did for her and her brother when they were sick. Zoe wiped at a stray tear that escaped. Just then, McKenzie noticed Zoe.

"Hi Dr. Zoe," McKenzie said brightly. Zoe stepped into the room.

"Hi, Mac," she replied. "I thought you were asleep?"

"I woke up and wanted some water but Pappy's the only adult I can find," she answered. "He's sick. He has to stay in bed to get better." Zoe smiled sadly, wishing she still lived in a world where everything was as black and white as it was to McKenzie.

"Your mom and dad and Uncle Wade are on the back porch," she explained. "Why don't I take you in the kitchen and get you some water?"

"Can I have a cookie too?" McKenzie asked, already hopping off the bed.

"Why not?" Zoe agreed, figuring the kid deserved at least a cookie for being so sweet with her grandpa. "Earl? Do you need anything?"

"No, Doc, I'm good," he said. "Or not good, but you know." Zoe nodded. "I think I'm gonna get some shut eye."

"I'll be back in a little while to check on you," she told him. "Come on, McKenzie."

She led McKenzie into the kitchen and fixed her a glass of milk, suggesting it would go better with cookies. She joined her at the table for a late night snack then tucked her back into bed when her belly was full. She checked on Earl one more time and tweaked his oxygen settings before returning to the kitchen to clean up their milk and cookies. She was washing the last glass when Wade came inside.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hi," Zoe replied. The clock on the wall showed it was well after midnight. Wade held out his arms and Zoe went to him, pulling him into a hug. He rested his head against hers, hugging her tightly. After several long moments, he pulled away.

"We, um, made a decision," he said. "Or, well, there won't really a decision to make since Earl made it for us. We're gonna go ahead and bring in hospice." Zoe nodded slowly.

"Okay," she agreed, running her hand up and down Wade's arm in a comforting motion. "I'll call in the morning." Wade nodded and ran a hand over his weary face. He looked at Zoe.

"How long does he have?" he asked. "Be honest. Don't sugarcoat it." Zoe sighed.

"Days to weeks," she said. "You can't predict that."

"Closer to days or weeks?" Wade asked. "I know you can't say for sure but…" Zoe took in how sad he looked. How tired and desperate for an answer – any answer – he was.

"Days," she told him, her heart breaking for him. "It's closer to days." Wade closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry. I wish I could say differently." Wade opened his eyes and looked at Zoe.

"I know," he said simply. He reached out and put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on," he said, leading her toward the stairs. "Meredith said she put some sheets and blankets on my old bed. It's a twin, but you're tiny. We can squeeze on it and get a few hours of sleep."

Zoe wanted nothing more than to go home and slip in between her Kate Spade sheets. Instead, she followed Wade upstairs and the pair of them climbed into his childhood bed. Zoe fell asleep almost instantly, what little energy she had drained by the night's events. Wade remained awake, listening to her breathe and praying that she'd stay. He couldn't lose her too.


	25. Broken Bottles

**I loved reading all of your reviews last chapter! Some of you are oh so sharp. Parts of Wade's 'secret' have been scattered throughout this story and you didn't miss them. You're about to learn it all... I also really loved your thoughts on the scene between Earl and his granddaughter. Sadly, I can write that from first hand experience having lost my grandpa over the summer and dealt with the hospice nurses and the like. **

**Remember that I named Wade's mom 'Mary Ellen' before we knew her actual name. And if you didn't know it already, I'm a Tennessee graduate and am NOT a fan of the Crimson Tide. ;) Song inspiration for this chapter is "Broken Bottles" by Sons of Bill.  
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**THINGS I OWN: A sewing machine that I have no idea how to use. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie**

* * *

><p>"I hope this weather ain't any indication of what we should expect for summer," Roger Miller said as Wade topped off his glass of sweet tea.<p>

"Ain't that the truth?" Wade replied. "Hotter than a squirrel in a wool sock out there and it ain't even April."

"According to J.J. Reynolds, we're in for a big change in a few days," Dash DeWitt said, inviting himself into the conversation from the next table over. "Did you see his latest weather predictions in the paper? Says a cold front will blow in day after tomorrow. And you all know what that means."

"Twisters," Roger said seriously. "Supposed to be a right big outbreak from what I've heard."

"I saw somethin' 'bout that on the news this mornin,'" Wade said. "Probably a good time to dig out the candles, bottle up some water and put fresh batteries in the weather radio. Springtime in the South and all."

"Not a bad idea," Dash agreed. "I'm gonna blog about that – good reminder to my readers to keep an eye on the sky and be storm ready." Wade refrained from rolling his eyes at Dash borrowing the local news channel's severe weather tagline.

"I'm supposed to head out on a fishing trip tomorrow but I might should reconsider," Roger said. "I don't want to leave the wife home alone with the boys. They give her a run for her money on a good day. Last thing she needs is to be corralling all four of them while we have our own version of that Twister movie playing out."

"Y'all do me a favor and don't mention tornadoes to the Doc," Wade said. "She's right scared of storms. Give her two days to fret about tornadoes dropping out of the sky and none of us will be able to stand her."

"Well she's going to find out when she reads my blog," Dash said. Wade grinned.

"Doubt we'll have to worry 'bout that," he said, knowing few people in the town actually read Dash's blog, despite what he liked to think. "She'll find out soon enough with all the news she watches and how everyone talks 'round here. Might as well let her live in peace for as long as we can."

"I'm sure you'll look out for her," Roger said with a knowing grin.

"Always." Wade winked at the pair before walking away to take another order.

He had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach about the change in the weather. Predicting a tornado was almost impossible until it was falling out of the sky but it sounded like conditions would be favorable and that made him nervous. A myriad of things coursed through his mind as he brought re-filled drinks and jotted down a burger order – would his father's house be able to withstand a severe weather outbreak? Did Lavon have his storm cellar stocked? Did Zoe know what to do when a tornado hit? He started making a mental list of what he needed to do before the weather shifted and as it got longer, started jotting it down on a napkin. He heard the bell over the door chime, signaling another customer, but as it was the lunchtime rush, he didn't bother to look up.

"Wade?" came his sister's voice.

"Hey, Mere," he said. He finished writing 'buy Zoe flashlights' before he looked up. The color drained from his face in surprise. There, standing before him, was Earl. "Dad?"

"He wanted to come," Meredith said softly, understanding Wade's surprise. She helped him onto a stool in front of Wade as Wade gathered himself. Earl hadn't set so much as toe inside the place since the day their mother died. The hush that had fallen over the lunch patrons showed Wade wasn't the only one surprised to see him. Earl, looking weak, squirmed uncomfortable on his seat.

"Thought it was high time I came and saw what you did with the place," he said quietly.

"Shouldn't you be restin'?" Wade asked. Earl shook his head.

"Plenty time for that when I'm dead, ain't it?"

"Daddy!" Meredith exclaimed. "Don't talk like that."

"Hush, girl," Earl chastised. "I ain't no fool. I know I'm a dyin.' Doc ain't frettin' over me for no good reason. And them hospice people ain't comin' to the house for their health neither." Wade swallowed the lump that formed in his throat any time he thought of the hospice nurses. They were sweet, compassionate, middle-aged women, one who stayed overnight and another who was with them for much of the day. They'd been coming for a week now and as much as Wade liked them, their presence did nothing to make it easier to accept that his time with his father was coming to an end.

"Where is Hattie anyhow?" Wade asked, referring to the nurse that was with them during daytime hours.

"Stayed at the house," Meredith answered. "She thought it'd be nice for us to get out of the house for a little bit – but we promised to be back within two hours."

"I'll go back when I want to go back," Earl said stubbornly. Meredith rolled her eyes and Wade chuckled.

"What can I get for you, Dad?" he asked.

"How 'bout a glass of sweet tea?" Earl asked. Meredith opened her mouth to protest but Earl beat her to the punch. "Nothin' from you, missy. I'm 'bout sick of you tellin' me what I can and can't eat and drink. If I'm goin' out, I'm goin' out with a full belly."

"You're incorrigible," she retorted.

"Don't know what that means but I reckon it's an insult," Earl said as he took the glass of tea from Wade.

"I'm going to the Dixie Stop to pick up a few things," Meredith announced. "Wade, you're in charge of him." She turned on her heel and headed out the door before either of them had a chance to respond.

"Piece of work, that girl," Earl muttered.

"She means well. Just a little high strung is all," Wade answered. "Want somethin' to eat?"

"Whatcha got?"

"Well… Most all of Momma's old recipes," he answered, watching Earl carefully. As he suspected he would, Earl tensed up at the mention of his wife. "Got a few other things we've added to the menu. Got some good, fresh catfish and chicken and dumblin's are the special today."

"Got any turkey hash? Spread over a couple slices of toast?"

"I'll see what I can do," Wade said. He left Earl at the counter and went back to his line cook. Turkey hash was a special, usually on Wednesdays, but if his dad wanted turkey hash, Wade would make sure he got it. He explained to his cook who was more than happy to help him out. When he returned, Earl was sitting with his back to the bar, taking in the place. Wade was surprised to see no one talking to him, but he figured Bluebell knew Earl and his story well enough to know to give him his space for the time being.

"Sure has changed," he said when he sensed Wade come up behind him and lean on the bar. "Your momma used to have a bunch of copper molds hanging on that wall yonder. And it was all pink and yellow. Some mint too. Pastels. Damn pastels everywhere. Looked like an Easter egg had exploded in here."

"I've still got those molds," Wade told him. "They're in a box on a shelf in the back. Didn't make sense to keep 'em up when I took over and decided to make it into a bar, but I couldn't get rid of 'em neither."

"She had a cold case just over there," Earl said, pointing to where the jukebox was now. "It was always full of salads – chicken salad, tater salad, macaroni salad, broccoli salad. Made it all fresh every day. Never did know how she found the time, takin' care of you kids and me like she did."

"The bakery case was right over here," Wade said, pointing to a place that was now part of the bar. "I learned how to cook from her but I never did get good at bakin' the way she did."

"Can that Zoe of yours cook?" Earl asked, surprising Wade with the change in subject as he slowly turned himself so he was sitting back at the bar. Wade chuckled.

"That girl can't boil water. I done saved her in the kitchen more than once. That's why she's always eatin' here. Reckon she likes the bartender too."

"I reckon she does," Earl agreed. He took a deep breath, wincing as he did so.

"You alright?" Wade asked. Earl nodded but didn't answer. He took another long look around the place then looked at Wade.

"You done real good," he said. "I know I ain't never told you that, but you did. I'm real proud of you." Wade looked down at the bar, not sure how to respond. He didn't do emotions well as it was but when it was with his father, it went to a whole other level of uncomfortable. "I was mad as hellfire when I heard you was changin' the place into a bar. Your momma worked so hard on her restaurant and it meant so much to her. Took me a long time to realize it was the only way to keep it goin' and in the family."

"I remember that night," Wade said quietly. "I had to sing you down from the old fire station. That was the first time you started the rooftop business." Earl looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "For a lot of things, but for the singin' especially. Humiliated us both." Wade nodded in agreement but didn't say anything further. "Anyway, I just wanted to see the place before…" he trailed off but they both knew how the sentence ended. "You did real good. Your momma would've been proud too." Wade was searching for a way to reply when the cook came out and set a plate of piping hot turkey has in front of Earl.

"I took the liberty of adding a side of catfish," he said. "You don't want to miss out on that stuff, Mr. Kinsella. It is goo-ood."

"Thank you," Earl replied. He picked up his fork with a shaky hand.

"Thanks," Wade added. He'd be sure to put a little something extra in the cook's check that week. He waited while Earl chewed his first bite. "Well?"

"Not as good as your momma's, but nothin' else can beat it." Wade chuckled.

"Nothin' here will ever be good as Momma's," he agreed. He saw a couple of Earl's old high school friends approaching. "You sit here and enjoy your meal, visit with your buddies," he told his dad. "I'm gonna get back to work."

Earl smiled and nodded at Wade. There was a tear in his eye, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came as he turned to greet his old friends.

* * *

><p>Zoe signed her name with a flourish.<p>

"Let it be known that old man Jackson didn't fool me this time," she announced to Addie as she passed her his chart to file. "Not only did I know he memorized the eye chart, I bought a new one – one with numbers instead of letters. He didn't know what to do with himself."

"Mighty proud of yourself for fooling an old man," Addie said, giving Zoe a pointed look at she sat the chart aside.

"Don't give me that look. That man took full advantage of me on my first day in Bluebell. If he thought I was gonna forget that, he's got another thing coming." Addie shook her head in amusement.

"Zoe! There you are!" Brick rounded the corner from his exam room looking rushed. "Can you head over to the high school? The whole football team has a nasty case of athlete's foot and its keeping them from practicing well. It'd be easier for you just to make a house call, if you will, rather than get all them here. And I've already told the coach one of us would be along to take care of it." Zoe frowned.

"You want me to go treat a bunch of teenage boys' stinky feet? Because they can't practice well? It's not even football season!"

"It's spring practice," Brick said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "They've got the annual spring game coming up this weekend. And I know it's just a scrimmage between the offense and defense, but it's a big deal around here and the whole town will be there to watch. There's even going to be college scouts there. I'd do it myself but I've got Mr. Banton waiting with what looks like a pretty bad case of strep throat and Walt Jefferson is coming in for a physical in a half hour."

"You realize you're practically begging, right?" Zoe asked.

"I am not begging," Brick said, too proud to admit he'd overbooked himself. "Now can you go?" Zoe did a mental recount of her afternoon schedule. She had a 3:00 appointment and another a half hour later but barring a walk in patient, she was relatively free.

"Fine," she relented. "But you owe me. Teenage boys are the worst."

"Thank you," Brick said. "Try and not priss around too much while you're there. Teenage boys are impressionable and, well, that dress is a little short." Zoe scoffed as Brick hurried away.

"He's unbelievable," she told Addie. "I'm going to go get my bag. Can you get me…."

"A whole case of foot spray from the supply closet?" Addie guessed. She set a box on the counter. "Brick told me he was going to send you. I figured I'd do my part."

"Aren't you a saint?" Zoe asked, except she half meant it. She grabbed a snack from Brick's stash in his office figuring it was the least he could do, then got her bag, collected her foot spray and headed out the door. She made a spectacular attempt to juggle her things while eating a pack of crackers. She'd hoped to make a late lunch at the Rammer Jammer, if for no other reason than to see Wade for a few minutes, but with all the time she was spending taking care of Earl, she had to see other patients when she could. And with Wade understandably spending so much time with his father, she missed him.

An hour later, she passed out the last can of foot spray and issued one last stern warning for the team to use it as instructed. Feeling like she desperately needed a shower after being in a boys' locker room for nearly an hour, she wandered through the high school, trying to find the exit. The dismissal bell had just rang and the halls were swarmed with students rushing out the door.

"Zoe!" Zoe stopped and allowed Rose and her friend Tonya to catch up. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, just hanging out with the football team," she answered.

"Treating their foot fungus, I hope," Tonya said, making a face. "My brother's feet are disgusting."

"They should be on the mend soon," Zoe assured the girl. "But I wouldn't accidently wear any of his socks for a while." She noticed the girls were loaded down with all sorts of paper, scissors and what looked like metallic stars. "What's all that?"

"We're changing out the bulletin board in the main entrance to advertise the Spring Fling," Rose said excitedly. "This year's them is 'Under the Stars.' We're turning the gym into a planetarium. How cool is that?"

"Very," Zoe answered. In her mind, she saw visions of slowly rotating disco balls and plastic stars and moons hanging from the rafters while teenagers danced too close. She walked with them towards the entrance, half listening as that chattered on about who they hoped asked them and what they should wear, promising she'd take them dress shopping in Mobile without realizing what she was agreeing to. Just as she was about to leave them to their bulletin board, a massive trophy case across the entrance caught her eye. She wandered over to it, sure it would be full of Lavon's achievements. Sure enough, there he was, his career with Bluebell High School as well as shots from his college and pro days spanning much of the trophy case. Someone named Leon Mercy had been a track star in his day, it seemed and a Roger Warrick had been an all-state basketball player. Next to a team photo with him and a state championship trophy front and center though, was a photo that made her gasp in surprise.

"Wade played football?" she asked, staring at a photo of a younger Wade in his Big Blue uniform. His smile and eyes hadn't changed at all, but his hair was longer in the photo, shaggy and dripping with sweat. There were more photos of him, plaques with his name on them, a state championship trophy next to a framed newspaper clipping with the headline 'Kinsella Leads Big Blue To First State Title In Five Years.'

Rose and Tonya appeared on either side of her as though they'd been summoned.

"Duh," Rose said. "He was like, the star quarterback. He's a legend. Fredrick Dean – and every quarterback since then – only wish they could be as good as he was." Zoe shook her head.

"He hates football," she said, thinking back to all the times she'd been wrapped up in a football game, both on TV and at the high school, yelling and cheering alongside Lavon while Wade had been uninterested, at best, and certainly never present in the Bluebell High stands. Yet she could also remember the occasional moment when Wade would make a comment about a football game, share a little nugget of knowledge about a player or a state he'd 'overheard.' Something didn't add up but she'd never realized it until now.

"No he doesn't," Tonya argued. "Or, well, maybe he does, seeing as he's like, the only person in Bluebell who doesn't come to games. He was big time. He was even better than Lavon Hayes. My daddy says he nearly caused a riot when he announced he'd be going to Tennessee in the fall. Alabama wanted him bad and he signed with the enemy."

"Wait," Zoe sputtered, finally taking her eyes off the trophy case. "Wade went to college?"

"Sort of," Rose said with a shrug. "The way my uncle tells it, he graduated high school early and enrolled in Tennessee for the spring semester but he never went back after summer break."

"Why?" Zoe pressed, wondering why he'd never mentioned it to her, how she'd somehow not known he was a big football star. She'd bought his excuse about the Rammer Jammer, how he'd assumed she'd known he owned it since everyone else in town knew, but he wasn't going to get off as easy with this one.

"Daddy said that he… Ow!" Rose elbowed Tonya, shutting her up. Zoe raised an eyebrow.

"Daddy said what?" she pressed, eyeing the girls.

"You should probably talk to Wade about that," Rose said, looking nervous. "I mean, we're young. We don't know the details…" Tonya caught on and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it's not like we were in high school when he was or anything. We could be entirely wrong. You know how people talk around here…" Tonya gave Zoe an innocent smile.

"Oh we're going to talk," Zoe said, feeling herself growing angry. She glanced at her watch. "I've got to go. I've got a patient waiting on me." She told the girls goodbye and left the school. As she hurried toward the practice, she went over what Rose and Tonya told her. It didn't make any sense. Wade, she decided, had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, she'd accepted the fact getting to the bottom of Wade's high school glory days were going to have to wait at least until the morning. She'd gotten behind schedule by dillydallying at the high school and had then taken a walk-in patient once she'd finished with her appointments. By the time she was done stitching up Jacob Mobley, Wade had texted her to let her know he was leaving the Rammer Jammer and going out to Earl's.<p>

To occupy herself, she climbed the stairs to Harley's apartment. She'd neglected her task of cleaning the place out lately, too consumed with Earl, Wade and the practice to fit in much else. She flipped on several lights, opened a couple of windows to let in some slightly cooler air into the stuffy and hot space and turned on the portable radio she'd fished out and put new batteries in before she went to work.

She decided to tackle Harley's study. She'd been keeping the room as a sort of prize. It was full of old medical textbooks, patient files of those who had likely passed if they were in Harley's possession instead of filed in the practice below, and, what really had piqued her curiosity, several boxes of what a peek told her contained photos, newspaper clippings and who knew what else. She'd been saving the room with the intentions of digging through it last, sure it held all sorts of information about not only Harley but Bluebell. Now, she felt drawn to it, sure it held town secrets, much like the one she'd learned about Wade. She picked up one of the boxes and sat down in the middle of the floor.

As she'd expected, the box was full of clippings and moments from and about Bluebell's residents. There were Christmas and birthday cards, several cards of thanks from patients. There were articles from the newspaper about Harley being named Man of the Year, Lavon winning mayor, Founders Day Parades and Gumbo cook-offs. There were also birth announcements, many of the names Zoe recognized. She assumed they were delivered by Harley. She giggled a bit when, midway through a second box, she found Rose's birth announcement along with a note from her parents. She set it aside, sure Rose would love to have it.

At the bottom of the box, with just a few pieces and a couple of photos left, she picked up a small folded pamphlet. When she turned it over, she realized it was a service folder. Her heart skipped a beat when she read the name below the photo of praying hands – _Mary Ellen Marks Kinsella_. Wade's mother. She opened the service folder and inside, found an obituary folded in half. She read the Bible verse and information about Mary Ellen's memorial service before she unfolded the obituary.

She realized then, as she looked at the black and white picture at the top of the long column of memorium, that she'd never seen a photo of Wade's mother. Wade, it turned out, looked more like Earl but he had his mother's eyes. Meredith, however, was her mother's spitting image. She read the obituary though and then read it again, taking in every word. Mary Ellen had not only been a wife, mother, sister, daughter and owner of Bluebell's favorite restaurant, she'd also been a part of the Memory Matrons, an officer in the Junior League and a Belle. She could only imagine how drastically Wade's life had changed after her passing. She placed it with Rose's birth announcement to give it to Wade later.

It was halfway into the third box – and nearing ten o'clock – when she found the first article about Wade's football career. It was a long piece, a feature article written the day after he'd signed to play for Tennessee. Clean-shaven, wearing a suit, and his floppy hair combed to the side, he stood between his sister and J.J. Reynolds, who, to Zoe's surprise, had been his football coach, wearing a Tennessee hat and tie and grinning broadly. The article recited all of Wade's school accomplishments and included quotes from him on how much he was looking forward to playing for Tennessee, why Phil Fulmer had managed to sway him from the Alabama Crimson Tide and his decision to leave high school a semester early to enroll in UT for the spring semester.

It wasn't the only article. As she continued to dig through the box, she found more, most of them documenting his play in the previous night's game. It turned out he'd been a bit of an all-arounder, also playing baseball well enough to be named to the all-region team. She couldn't believe he'd never told her any of this, even when they'd talked about their high school days. Her stories were usually about her getting into trouble with Gigi while his usually involved George and Lemon. She'd told him about all of her extracurriculars and he'd told her all the places he used to sneak around with girls. Not once had he mentioned he'd been a regular town hero.

As midnight approached, Zoe reached the bottom of a fourth box. She yawned and stretched, realizing for the first time that her muscles were protesting from sitting cross-legged on the floor for so long. Her stomach growled loudly and a trip to the bathroom became emergent. She knew Wade was staying at Earl's that night and it was too late for her to consider walking home. She went down to the practice, dug up a blanket and pillow, then returned to Harley's apartment. She made herself a bed on the couch and fell asleep thinking over how she'd approach Wade in the morning.

* * *

><p>It was past the peak of the breakfast crowd by the time Zoe made it to the Rammer Jammer. She'd woke up early, headed to the plantation to shower and get ready for the day and had breakfast with Lavon before searching out Wade. She'd tried to wheedle information out of Lavon but he'd locked up tight, refusing to share anything with her she didn't already know. She found Wade crowded over his desk, sifting through paperwork.<p>

"Hey, you," he said, a grin coming easily as she stepped into his office. He stood quickly and had her in his arms before she knew what had happened.

"Hey," she replied just before he kissed her.

"I missed you," he whispered between kisses. She smiled despite being upset with him.

"I missed you," she replied, kissing him again before she pulled away. "How was Earl this morning?"

"'Bout the same," he answered. "Hattie's there with him now. I hung out until she came to take over for Margaret so I got a little bit of a late start." He ran a hand through his hair, letting Zoe in on how weary he felt, something he did a good job of hiding from most everyone else. "I'm not sure how I'm gonna get everything done around here and help take care of him too. Meredith's gone home to Mobile for a few days – she needs to spend some time with her husband and kids after being here for the last couple of days. I told Lavon I'd clean up the gardens, get 'em ready for spring, sometime this week but I just don't know…"

"Hey, don't worry about Lavon," Zoe said. "He'll understand. Some Spring Fling dance is coming up at the high school – every teen boy in Bluebell will be looking for a way to earn some extra cash to take their date to Fancy's before feeling them up on the dance floor. I'm sure a couple of them will be more than happy to help him out."

"I know," Wade said, settling back into his desk chair. Zoe took one of the ones across from him. "It's just – a lot to take in." Zoe nodded in agreement, second-guessing her earlier stance on demanding to know why Wade had never told her about football and Tennessee along with finding out why he'd dropped out. He had enough on his mind right now.

"Can I help with anything?" she asked instead. Wade shrugged.

"Maybe tell me what's up with you?" he asked. "I got the impression you were upset with me. You texts yesterday were a little – short." Zoe frowned. Did he really know her that well? Could he really know she was upset with him because she'd sent him one-word responses instead of her usual more colorful replies? How did he know she wasn't just busy? She cursed his ability to read people, especially her, so well.

"Upset? Me? No," she said, trying to play it off. "I was just really busy. I had a couple physicals in the morning, another one in the afternoon… Then I went to the high school, treated the football team for athlete's foot, had a couple more appointments, Jacob Mobley cut his hand… It was just a really busy day. No one is upset. Least of all me. I'm not upset at all." She silently kicked herself. She couldn't play coy to save her life. Wade raised an eyebrow.

"You sure?" he asked. "'Cause I ain't buyin' what you're sellin,' Doc."

"It's nothing," Zoe said, shaking her head. "Just something silly that's not important in the grand scheme of things. Lavon said Earl came to the Rammer Jammer yesterday for the first time since your mom died? How was that?"

"Weird," Wade answered. "It was weird. Now don't change the subject. What's this silly, not important thing?" Zoe knew she didn't stand a chance when she locked eyes with him. He could see right through her, had been able to since day one. She sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a local football hero?" she asked. "While I was at the high school yesterday, I was looking at the trophy case at all of Lavon's stuff and found out you were a star yourself." She saw Wade start to look uncomfortable but pressed on. "Rose and Tonya told me how you got a scholarship to play for Tennessee and then I found all sorts of articles about your playing days when I was going through some of Harley's things last night…. Why didn't you tell me? And why did you drop out of college?"

Wade didn't answer right away. Zoe waited, holding his gaze with her own, willing him to tell her the truth. Finally, he spoke.

"It was a long time ago," he said. "I was just doing what every high school boy around here does – playing football. I just happened to be better at it than most, that's all."

"That's not all," Zoe argued. "You had a scholarship to play for Tennessee and offers from Alabama, Florida, LSU – just about every school in the SEC as well as a few outside of it. You left high school early to enroll in UT. You even played during their Spring Orange and White game. Completed 10 of 14 passes for 112 yards, if I remember correctly. Then you quit. Why?"

"I had responsibilities here," Wade told her. "Earl, this place. I couldn't stay in Knoxville when everything here was falling apart." Zoe wasn't sure how, but she instinctively knew there was more. Against her better judgment, she pressed on.

"There's more to the story," she told him. "You're not telling me something."

"Nothin' to tell," Wade shot back too quickly. Zoe could see him tensing up in his chair, a sign that she was right on the money.

"There is," she insisted. "Wade, don't lie to me. Just tell me the truth. I'm sure Earl and this place and everything that happened with your family after your mom's death had a lot to do with it. But I know you and I know you're not telling me something. Tonya was going to tell what happened but Rose elbowed her to shut her up. Lavon wouldn't tell me anything either. So what's this big secret you're so intent on keeping?"

"Zoe, just drop it, okay?" Wade asked. "I played football. Won some championships, broke some records, got a scholarship to play at Tennessee. I tried it and it didn't work out. Now I'm here. End of story."

"Wade…

"Zoe, stop!" Wade snapped. Zoe, taken back by his tone, bit back what she was going to say. "Look, what happened back then is in the past – 12 years in the past to be exact. It doesn't matter. All that matters is what's happened since you got to town. So don't worry about why I didn't end up putting on a orange uniform every Saturday come fall."

Even as he spoke, Zoe could hear the regret laced in his words. Something had happened that had drastically altered Wade's path in life, something besides his mother's death. He was determined not to let her know what.

"Wade, just tell me," she said carefully. "Whatever it is…"

"I don't talk about it," he said firmly. "It doesn't matter."

"But it does!"

"Why?" Wade wanted to know. "Why does something that happened forever ago matter so much to you?"

"Everyone I've ever cared about has lied to me," Zoe told him, looking him square in the eye. "My mom lied to me my entire life about who my father was. My dad lied to me about everything from the fact that he wasn't my father to why he didn't make it to my school play. Even Harley lied to me, never telling me that he was my father in any of those postcards he sent. Now you're lying to me. I'm giving you the chance to be honest with me. And you're not taking it."

Wade could hear the hurt surfacing in her voice. She was shutting down right in front of him, no longer her bossy, sassy, independent self but letting the part of her that had been hurt by others, the part she worked so hard to get past, peek through her tough exterior. All the warnings he'd gotten from George and Lavon to tell Zoe the truth months ago echoed in his head. He was left with two options – tell her everything or keep it to himself. Either way, the outcome wasn't going to be pretty. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Can we talk this evening?" he asked. "It's a long story and I've got to get back to work. It's my turn to stay with Earl so maybe you can come out there?" He waited for what felt like an eternity for Zoe to nod.

"I'll head out there after work," she said softly. "I want to check on Earl anyway." She stood as did Wade. "I should probably get back to the practice." Wade rounded the desk and reached for her. He was half shocked when she actually let him pull her into a hug.

"Just promise me you'll listen to everything I have to say," he whispered, holding on tighter than he normally would have. He felt Zoe squeeze tighter in return, her face buried in his shirt.

"If you promise to tell me the truth."

"It's a deal," he said. He pulled away enough to kiss her, hoping it told her everything he wanted to. She left then, leaving him alone in his office. He sat down on his desk and ran a hand through his hair. He already felt like he'd lost her.

* * *

><p>The weight in his stomach grew steadily heavier as he sat on the back steps of his childhood home, waiting for Zoe to wrap up with Earl. It hadn't taken long for Earl to comment on the tension between the two, so thick a knife would have a hard time cutting through it. He hadn't talked about any of what he was about to tell Zoe in so long. She didn't have a clue as to what she was asking him. But even more, he was terrified. He knew it wasn't going to end well. Visions of Zoe walking away had plagued him all day. He'd gone as far as confide in George Tucker who had basically said 'I told you so.' He had, but Wade hadn't appreciated his lack of support. He was contemplating how he could rig Lavon's hybrid Zoe had driven out to Earl's to not start and thereby keep her from leaving after he told her everything when she walked through the screen door.<p>

"How's he doin,' Doc?" Wade asked as Zoe sat down beside him.

"As well as can be expected," she answered. Wade noted the space between them. He could reach over and touch her, but she still seemed so far away. "His pain is under control and his appetite is still decent. So that's something." Wade just nodded. Zoe waited, ready to hear whatever he had to say. She'd spent the entire afternoon imagining one scenario after another. She was tired of dreaming things up. She wanted to know what he was hiding.

"I reckon you want to know why I came back from Tennessee," Wade finally said. Zoe only nodded. Wade took a deep breath. "Just, listen, okay? It's a long story and to be honest, it's real hard for me to tell."

"I'll listen," Zoe promised. Wade nodded, bracing himself.

"Okay. So you know about the football. I'd played football my entire life. After Momma died, it was the one thing that stayed the same. Daddy won't in the stands cheerin' me on no more but I was still playin.' I found comfort in the grass and dirt. It was the one thing in my world that still made sense. I made the varsity team my sophomore year and two games in, I got named starter and never looked back.

"That was the same year I started datin' Tansy. She was the most popular girl in school. Cheerleading captain, all that. It was just like in the movies. Even Lemon wanted to be her and all the guys wanted to date her. And I was just crazy about her." He paused and watched Zoe squirm. He knew he was making her uncomfortable. He also knew she was about get a lot more uncomfortable. He continued.

"We had big plans, me and Tansy. I was gonna go play football for a big SEC school and she was gonna go to beauty school and open her own salon. Might not seem like a big career choice, but it's all she ever wanted to do. Lookin' back, we were just young and dumb and thought we could take on the world but then, in the moment, we really believed we'd make it. We were in love and we were gonna do the long distance thing and when I graduated, I'd get drafted to the NFL and we'd get married, live happily ever after.

"I left high school early – hard to believe now that I had enough credits to graduate early, ain't it? I enrolled at UT so I could be there for spring practice, start learning the playbook and working out with the team. Man, Zoe, it was everythin' I dreamed it would be. There were frat parties and just because I played football, I got a free pass on just about everything. I loved it up there. I missed Tansy and my friends but I was makin' new ones, gettin' a chance to get out of here, make something of myself.

"Tansy took my bein' away pretty hard though. Her parents were always fightin' and she'd call me cryin' since she couldn't run over to my place like she used to. I came home for Spring Break and damn, it was so good to see her again. We spent the whole week together – she skipped out on the whole week of school, got in a hell of a lot of trouble. Then I went back to Knoxville.

"She stopped takin' my calls a few weeks later, got real distant. Then finals came and I was tryin' to study and do well on those. I had a couple weeks before the summer session I was enrolled in started up so when I finished my last exam, I came back to Bluebell." Wade paused and summoned up his courage.

"Long story short, after a lot of calls and sittin' around her place tryin' to get her to talk to me, I found out she was pregnant." He heard the sharp intake of breath that came from Zoe. He reached over and took her hand. This was the part he was dreading.

"I was young and dumb," he said again. "Meredith did her damnedest to talk some sense into me but I didn't want to hear nothin' she had to say. Tansy and I… Well, we went down to New Orleans, caught us a shrimp boat and got married."

"Married?" Zoe shrieked, interrupting Wade. "You were married? How did you not tell me you were married?"

"She was pregnant," Wade explained. He still had Zoe's hand and held it tighter. "I loved her. Gettin' married just made the most sense. And since I was about to have a kid to support, I couldn't be off playin' football. I needed a job, needed to make some money. That's how I ended up working back at Momma's restaurant.

"At first, it was great. We rented this little shack of a house not too far from here – it's gone now, storm took care of it several years back – and I worked as much as I could while she did odd jobs, picking up extra cash here and there. But real life started catchin' up with us pretty quick and we started fightin' a lot. Money was tight and bills won't gettin' paid.

"One night, we had a big fight – I was mad 'cause she spent money on a manicure when we needed it for food and rent and she was mad 'cause we didn't have the money to spend on things like manicures. I'd started resentin' her since she was the reason I gave up football and a college education, my chance to get out of Bluebell. The fight just got worse and worse and finally she left to go stay at her Momma's house.

"Sometime late that night her brother showed up on my doorstep. We didn't have cell phones back then and the land line had been turned off for nonpayment. They'd had to rush her to the hospital. She, well, she um…" Wade struggled to continue. "She um, lost the baby."

"Wade…" Zoe whispered. She'd had a feeling that was how the story would climax. She knew Wade too well to know that he didn't have a child out there somewhere that he wasn't involved with.

"The doctors said it was nothin' we did, that things like that just happened sometimes. And Tansy hadn't been feelin' good, but I still felt awfully guilty. So did she. We tried to make things work between us. She went into this deep depression though and nothin' I said or did would help. I hardly recognized her. The harder I tried, the worse things got. I started openly resentin' her and regrettin' my decision to leave UT. The way I saw it, she cost me my future. Things finally boiled over and we went our separate ways. I ain't really seen or talked to her much since. Just as well, I suppose."

Silence fell between the two. Wade kept Zoe's hand in his, using her silence as time to pull himself together. He still felt a lot of pain and anguish over everything that had happened with Tansy and reliving it for Zoe had brought a lot of it to the surface. Zoe used the time to process everything, sorting through whether she was mad or hurt or upset or – she didn't know. It was a lot to take in. She finally took a deep breath and turned to Wade.

"Is that all?" she asked. Wade bit his lip. As much as he'd told her, he knew he hadn't told her the part that would send her running.

"Well, almost."

"Almost?"

"Zoe, thing is… Well, I'm still – technically, legally, at least – married to Tansy."

There was a moment where Wade swore time stood still, as though the words hadn't yet made it from his mouth to Zoe's ears. He knew she'd heard him when she yanked her hand out of his and stood up quickly. Wade jumped to his feet as well.

"You're still married?" she shrieked. "All this time, you've been married and didn't think that I needed to know that?"

"Just on paper," he said. "I ain't been married in a long, long time."

"Just on paper?" Zoe repeated. "Just on paper? You're legally married, Wade! Oh my God. I've been sleeping with a married man. You realize that makes me the other woman?"

"Other woman? Zoe, no…"

"Oh my God," Zoe said again.

"Zoe, listen to me. It's not as big of a deal as you think…"

"Not a big deal?" Zoe shot back, rounding on Wade. "It's not a big deal that you're married? That I've been sleeping with you and out there somewhere you have a wife? Where is she anyway? Are you still in love with her?"

"No!" Wade said sharply. "I'm not in love with her. Not at all." Wade nearly told her then that she was the one he loved but he didn't want to tell her like that, under those circumstances. "She lives up near Birmingham. Last I heard, she was workin' in a salon. I've been tryin' to get her to sign divorce papers for years but she always sent 'em back for one reason or another. I don't know if she's holdin' on to the past or what. George Tucker's been helpin' me with a contested divorce. It's takin' some time but we're signing the final papers in another couple of weeks."

Zoe shook her head as though to clear her thoughts. There were too many things running through her head all at once.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me any of this – about football, Tennessee, Tansy, any of it?" It was there, in that moment, that Wade realized just how much he'd kept from Zoe. He recalled what she'd said in his office earlier about how everyone she'd ever cared about lied to her, hurt her. He felt ill at the idea that he, too, had hurt her.

"I don't know," he confessed. "I just… I made a lot of bad decisions. I try to keep it all pushed into the back of my mind and just go on what's in front of me. I know that's not the best way to deal with it, but that's what works for me. I know I should have told you and I'm sorry I didn't." Zoe shook her head.

"I don't know what to say," she said. "I can't – it's too much." Wade reached for her but she stepped away. He let his arm fall back to his side.

"Zoe…"

"Don't," she said, starting towards the back door. "Just don't."

"Zoe, please…"

"I've got to go. I've got to… I just… I need to think."

"Let me drive you home. The night nurse will be here soon. I'll take you when she gets here." Wade was starting to feel desperate. He knew the moment he left Zoe to her thoughts it would be all over. He needed more time to reason with her. More time to explain himself and his actions.

"No, I'll drive myself," she said. She was on autopilot. "I'll just check on Earl one last time before I go…" She slipped back inside the house. Wade sank down on the top stair and buried his face in his hands. He heard her talking to Earl, her voice higher than normal as she tried to pretend everything was okay. He heard his dad replying to her, his uncanny ability to read people – one of the few good qualities he'd inherited from the man – seeing through her act. He listened as she told Earl she'd be back to check on him in a couple of days and to have someone call if he needed anything. Then he listened as she left the house, the front door closing behind her. He heard the hybrid start up and the gravel crunch under the tires. He only pulled himself away from his spot on the porch when the night nurse asked him for help in moving Earl from his chair to the bed.

Hours later, laying in his childhood bed, he pulled out his phone. He wasn't surprised there weren't any missed calls or texts from Zoe. He ignored messages from George and Lavon, not concerned about going fishing or who was taking care of the plantation's garden while he tended to his father. He sent Zoe a simple text.

_Goodnight._

There was no reply.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew. There you have it. That was a lot.<strong>


	26. Storm Warning

**WHEW! This was a doozey of a chapter and also one of the ones I'd been looking forward to writing the most. If you've lived in the south/Midwest, the below scenario might be familiar. Nothing scares me more than the below scenario, in all honesty. This gal doesn't do tornado outbreaks well. **

**In other news, your reviews blew me away last chapter. Not only because of the sheer volume (wow!) but because so many of you supported Wade. I was afraid of reactions and pleasantly surprised that nearly all of you were completely open minded. You're all amazing and I thank you so so much for reading!**

**Song that inspired this chapter? "Storm Warning" by Hunter Hayes. **

**THINGS I OWN: A new laptop with Windows 8 which is SO confusing. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>Zoe wandered into Lavon's kitchen, looking as tired as she felt.<p>

"Mornin' Big Z," Lavon greeted from his seat at the counter, a bowl of oatmeal and a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

"Morning," Zoe mumbled back. She poured herself a travel mug of coffee, aware of Lavon's eyes on her.

"Just guessing that you didn't talk to Wade yesterday?"

"Nope." Zoe joined Lavon at the counter, picking at a day old muffin. It wasn't the plate of sausage gravy over biscuits she really wanted but to get that, she'd have to go to the Rammer Jammer and going to the Rammer Jammer meant talking to Wade.

"You should talk to the boy," Lavon advised. "He was wandering around here like a lost puppy yesterday, waiting on you to come in from work until he couldn't wait anymore and had to get to the Rammer Jammer. Which I'm assuming you knew and so you stayed at the practice until you could avoid running into him." Zoe looked guilty, confirming Lavon's suspicions.

"I don't know what to say to him," she said. "He lied to me. Big time. He doesn't get to say 'I'm sorry' and that be that. He lied, Lavon. He lied a lot."

"He did," Lavon agreed. "He should have told you everything a long time ago. I told him to tell you the truth… " Lavon realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.

"You knew too?" Zoe shrieked. "Obviously you knew about Tennessee and why he came back, but you knew he was still married and didn't think to tell me that? Like, before I went and started sleeping with him? You didn't think to say 'Hey Zoe, glad you like Wade and all but you should know he's legally married'?"

"It won't my place to tell," Lavon said. "Besides, I didn't know he was still married myself until not long after you got here. He fessed up one night after too many beers. It was the night of the Founder's Day Parade, come to think of it. He swore me to secrecy and Lavon Hayes is a good friend. He does not tell his friend's secrets."

"Still! This is the kind of thing you tell your other friend! You know, the one who is dating the friend you're keeping the secret for!" Lavon raised his hands.

"I'm out of this," he said. "Lavon Hayes is neutral. He's Switzerland. He's not taking sides and he's not getting yelled at for what he did or didn't tell anyone." He stood to gather his dirty dishes. "Except I'm gonna say one more thing. Then it's a stamped passport to Switzerland from here on out." Zoe waited, raising an eyebrow and challenging him. Lavon was happy to rise to the occasion.

"Wade is a good guy. He's had a hard life. A lot of people have done him wrong. A lot of people have left him. That's why he's still living in my gate house and doing odd jobs around the plantation. Not because he needs the money. He does enough well for himself and could buy a house if he really wanted to. He stays because it's consistent. He knows I'm not planning on going anywhere and he knows the gate house and this plantation are always here for him.

"He's crazy about you, Zoe. You don't have the slightest idea as to how hard it was for Wade to let you into his life. I'm not saying you shouldn't be mad at him. You've got every reason in the world to be mad at him. I'm saying you should talk to him. Don't shut him out. Especially right now."

Zoe sighed. "I miss the days when I was an unfeeling, uncaring surgeon who thought medicine was limited to treating the patient's ailments and that's it," she said, laying her head on the counter. "Feeling things sucks."

"Talk to him," Lavon said again. "He let you have your space yesterday. When he comes around today with his tail tucked between his legs like I'm sure he will, give him a chance to say what he has to say."

"We'll see," Zoe said. She stood to leave. "And you're still not off the hook for not telling me, you know."

"Of course I'm not." Zoe opened her mouth to make a snarky reply but was interrupted by the music used to introduce special reports on their local television station. She and Lavon both turned to the television. The local meteorologist appeared alongside a colorful map of Bluebell and the surrounding area, the words 'Severe Weather Outbreak Expected' stamped along the bottom of the screen.

"I'm Norm Sprouse, chief meteorologist for NBC 13 News. We'll return you to the Today Show shortly, but the latest report from the National Weather Service has placed much of South Alabama in a high risk area for severe weather this evening and into the night. Residents in the warned viewing area, shown here in red, should expect damaging winds, large hail, frequent lightening, heavy rain and, unfortunately, a widespread tornado outbreak is probable.

"Residents in the warned area should be prepared to seek shelter quickly, away from windows. The center or lowest part of the home or structure is the safest place to go in the event of a tornado. It's advised to have an emergency kit on hand that includes flashlights, extra batteries, a battery-operated radio, nonperishable food items, water and any prescription medications. A full list of recommended supplies for your emergency kit can be found on our website. We will be here keeping you updated throughout the day and will likely go on air for the remainder of the evening once serve weather moves in. Keep an eye on the sky and be storm ready…"

Zoe and Lavon looked at each other while Norm Sprouse rattled off all the ways people could keep up with NBC 13's weather report throughout the day. Lavon wore a nervous look. Zoe looked terrified.

"That doesn't sound good," she said. Lavon heard the panic in her voice. He shook his head.

"It's not," he said, appearing much calmer than he felt. "Tornadoes are part of springtime in the south, unfortunately. I've been in meetings with all the emergency personnel for the last few days, making plans. Looks like it's time to put some of them into action."

"Well, what should I do?" Zoe asked. "Should I make one of those kit things? And where do you go in the event of a tornado? Wait! Wade downloaded a weather app for me…" She pulled out her phone and realized it was still on silent from avoiding Wade. The screen was full of weather alerts, mixed in with missed calls and text messages from Wade, Lavon, Gigi, her mother and Rose.

"You tell Brick you're closing the practice down at noon," Lavon directed, gathering his things to head out and prepare the town as best he could for the impending weather. "I'm ordering all schools and public offices shut down then too and recommending everyone else do the same. People need to be at home and off the roads. Then bring yourself on back to the plantation. If and when a storm hits, head to the basement. The supply kit is already down there." Lavon paused in the doorway. "And Zoe? Be ready. You're one of just two doctors in this town. Your services will likely be needed."

"I'll stock my bag with extra supplies," she said. Lavon waved goodbye and headed out. She swallowed down the fear she felt rising. She'd seen plenty of photos and video footage of what tornadoes did in the south and Midwest every spring. She never thought she'd be living in the middle of it.

* * *

><p>"How long has he been out there?" Brick asked Addie. The pair of them stood behind the front desk, watching Wade pace the same few steps over and over, moving between his car parked on the curb to a spot on the sidewalk just steps from the practice's stairs and back again.<p>

"About forty-five minutes," Addie commented. She absentmindedly put a label on the chart in front of her. "He made it to the bottom step about ten minutes ago but turned tail and went back to his car."

"What'd he do?"

"Zoe ain't saying. I tried getting it out of her earlier but all she said was 'Wade's an idiot' and kept on through to her office, muttering about tornadoes and where she could hide if one hits while she's here."

"We'll be home before the worst of it moves in," Brick said confidently. It was just after ten in the morning and the sun was shining, the sky a bright, cloudless blue. The only hint that something was amiss was a gentle breeze that wasn't exactly out of place during an Alabama springtime. Flowers had had started blooming and trees were budding with the early season warmth. It was a picturesque southern spring day by all accounts. It was hard to believe he'd readily agreed with Zoe just two hours earlier to close the practice at noon to get home before twisters started falling out of the sky.

"I just wish Bill could be home with me and the boys," Addie said. "I hate when he's out working on nights like this."

"Bill will be just fine," Brick assured her. "He's trained especially for nights like the one we're likely to have tonight." He watched as Wade once again returned to his car, this time perching on the fender and looking up at the building. "Zoe know he's out there?"

"Yep," came Zoe's voice. She appeared on the other side of the desk and passed Addie a chart. "And Zoe doesn't care." She cursed herself internally for picking up Lavon's habit of talking in third person.

"He must really be in the dog house," Addie said, her eyebrow raised.

"Under it, actually," Zoe replied. She barely glanced out the window. If Wade wanted to put on a show for Brick and Addie, who would she be to stop him? It wasn't her fault he lacked the balls to come inside and ask to speak to her. "Brick, I'm going to re-stock both of our medical bags and fix us an extra one apiece, just in case."

"That's not a bad idea," Brick said, turning his attention from Wade. "Make sure you put in lots of bandages and antiseptic as well as suturing kits. That's what we'll likely need the most." Zoe rolled her eyes. As if she didn't know that. Brick let her attitude slide, figuring it was Wade, not him, she was really mad at.

"My 10:15 appointment canceled and I don't have any other patients scheduled this morning. Once I stock the bags, I'm going to head back to the plantation and wait for the sky to fall," Zoe said. She turned and started back to her office.

"If Wade ever works up the nerve to come inside, what do you want me to tell him?" Addie asked.

"Just tell him you found out today that I'm a former women's basketball star who ran off and married her high school boyfriend and oops, I forgot to mention I'm still married to them," Zoe replied.  
>"Seeing as he's a former football star who's still legally married to his high school sweetheart, he should understand." Both Addie and Brick snapped their heads around to look at Zoe.<p>

"Wade and Tansy are still married?" they said in almost perfect unison. Zoe looked at them.

"So what is this?" she asked. "Everyone in this town knows Wade was married and no one – no one – thought to tell me?"

"Well, I just figured they were divorced," Brick said. "Tansy left here ten, eleven years ago and hasn't been back since."

"She's a hairdresser up in Tuscaloosa, last I heard," Addie added.

"Birmingham," Zoe corrected. "According to her husband, anyway." She left Addie and Brick to gossip about her latest predicament.

"Can you believe that?" Brick asked. "Still married! After all this time! He ought to be ashamed of himself. Obviously, Zoe didn't know a thing about it."

"I never cared for Tansy," Addie said. "I was a few years older than her and Wade. I think I was a senior their freshman year. She just rubbed me the wrong way, all that blond hair and blue eyes and big chest."

"I always thought she was a little wild. I know Wade had his wild streak too – him and George and Lemon were always into something – but she was just bad for him. I said that from the very beginning and look what it got him."

"You two should go sit on the bench outside the Butter Stick with those little old ladies," Zoe called from somewhere in the practice. Addie and Brick looked at one another, caught in the act. "You gossip well enough to be right at home with them." The pair had the good sense to resume their work, Brick signing off on charts while Addie labeled and filed them, both of them peeking through the window at Wade once in a while.

"Look!" Addie hissed. "He's coming inside!"

"He is!" Brick replied. Both of them shuffled to look busy, as though they hadn't been gossiping and keeping an eye on his progress, Addie for nearly hour, Brick for the last fifteen minutes. Moments later, the door opened and a nervous-looking Wade walked in.

"Hey Addie, Brick," he said. "Is, um, Zoe available?"

"She's in her office," Addie said. "Enter at your own risk."

"She said to tell you something about being a basketball star and running off with her high school boyfriend who she's still married to," Brick supplied, giving Wade a pointed look.

"Reckon I'd deserve that," he replied, figuring it no use to try and defend himself. He made his way to her office, drawing on what little courage he had left in reserves to face her. He'd let her be the day before, for the most part, anyway, giving her a day to cool off and think about things. He was determined to talk to her today though, if only to make sure she was okay.

Her office door was ajar, her desk covered in medical supplies that she was methodically packing into four bags. He watched her for a few moments, taking in how beautiful she was. She also looked tired. Worried. Nervous. Part of it was the approaching storms, he knew. But most of it was him. He tapped on her doorframe.

"Okay if I come in?" he asked when she turned to face him. She stared at him for a long moment, debating. She heard Lavon's advice to hear him out echoing in the back of her mind and so she nodded, as much to his surprise as her own.

"I, um, bought you this," he said, holding up a nylon bag he'd been carrying around as his excuse to talk to Zoe. He sat it down on her desk.

"A utility bag?" she asked.

"It's a storm kit," he explained. He opened it and showed her the contents. "It's got a flashlight, some extra batteries, a couple bottles of water, candles, matches… Just the basics, really, but I knew you probably aren't well-versed in the ways of tornado preparedness."

'Damn him,' Zoe cursed in her head. He wasn't trying to be suave or heroic in an effort to make her swoon. He was just being him, the guy who looked after her, took care of her because he knew, despite her protests, that she couldn't always take care of herself. She wanted to throw something at him and kiss him senseless at the same time.

"Thank you," she said, settling on the safest choice to do neither. "It's supposed to get nasty later."

"Yeah, it is. The practice is closing early, right?"

"At noon. What about the Rammer Jammer?"

"Gonna send everyone home around two or so, once lunch is over. Lavon wants to use the place as a command center so we're gonna leave it open. Jake offered to stay so I can get out to Dad's. Meredith was supposed to come and trade off with me, but I told her to stay up in Mobile at least for tonight. She'd be worried about her kids and it's just too dangerous for her to be driving down here." Wade sighed and perched on the arm of one of Zoe's office chairs. "I hate that Jake's stayin' at the Rammer Jammer instead of heading home but I can't leave Dad and Margaret alone neither."

"No offense, but can your dad's place withstand a tornado?" Zoe asked, genuinely concerned. Wade shrugged.

"Doubt it," he said. "Should be able to stand up to high winds but if tornadoes start dropping down in the vicinity, I can't say for sure. 'Course, can't none of us say for sure. Lavon's big 'ol house don't even stand a chance if one comes spinning at it."

"You should bring Earl to the plantation," Zoe said. "It's safer there."

"It's a lot of work, moving him and all his medical stuff."

"Still. As his doctor, I recommend…"

"As his doctor?" Wade interrupted. "Ain't you supposed to handle medical stuff? You're getting into weather forecasting and predicting the future with all this 'move Earl to the plantation because it's safer' business." Zoe sighed.

"I'd feel better if he was there," she said. She looked him square in the eye. "I'd feel better if all of you were there." Wade realized then that it was him Zoe was worried about. He felt a little hope flutter in his chest.

"I reckon if Earl is at the plantation, I'd be able to go on and send Jake home, hunker down at the Rammer Jammer and ride this thing out," he said, contemplating the idea.

"Jake's already offered to stay. And Lavon will be busy being a mayor or whatever. We could use you at the plantation to – do whatever people do when a tornado hits. It's not like I know what's going on and Margaret is older, she's not going to be much help and Earl, well, he's not in any position to direct the troops either." The slightest smile graced Wade's lips.

"I'll bring Dad out to the plantation," he agreed. "But I'm gonna play it by ear as to whether I stay or go to the Rammer Jammer. Lavon's got me pulled into his big emergency response plan at some point so I might be summoned to help out."

"Well that's settled," Zoe said. She resumed packing her medical bags, aware that Wade was watching her. She waited for him to stay something. It took several minutes before he finally opened his mouth.

"Zoe, I'm sorry," he said. "About everything. I should have told you the truth."

"But you didn't," Zoe said. She added the last of the gauze to her bag then turned to face Wade. "You lied to me, Wade. Not a small white lie that's easily forgiven either. A big, bright, flashing neon sign kind of lie. Telling me you're married… That's a lot to take in."

"I know. To be honest, it's a lot to keep in too." He'd lost countless hours of sleep over the situation over the years and hadn't slept a wink in the two nights since he'd confessed all to Zoe.

"I don't know what to do," Zoe confessed. She picked up a roll of medical tape and began playing with it out of nervousness. "I am so mad at you! I want to understand and I want to try and work through this but right now… Right now, I'm just mad. And hurt. Really, really hurt." Her voice broke. Wade hung his head in shame.

"The last thing I ever wanted to do is hurt you," he said quietly. "You're everything to me, Zoe." Zoe looked at him. His voice was gritty, everything he was feeling on the surface for Zoe to see. She knew, without a trace of doubt, that he meant everything he'd just said.

"I don't know what to do," she said again. Wade could hear the distress in her voice. She was torn right down the middle, part of her still furious at him, part of her wanting to forgive him and move on. He decided he'd made enough of headway for the moment. He stood and approached her.

"I need to get goin,'" he said. "If I'm gonna get Dad moved over to the plantation and send the Rammer Jammer staff home after lunch I've got to get a move on." He reached out and put a hand on her elbow. She looked up at him, those big, beautiful brown eyes of hers full of conflict. "You're headin' home soon, right?"

"As soon as I finish packing up these bags for Brick and I," she confirmed.

"Don't waste time gettin' there," he ordered. "I'll see you sometime this afternoon, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will," Wade confirmed. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry," he said again before leaving. Zoe watched him go. Whatever happened between the pair of them, he had a piece of her heart that she would never get back. And she was pretty sure she had a piece of his too.

* * *

><p>Zoe stood on the plantation's porch, one eye on the road, the other on the sky. The wind had picked up drastically over the last couple of hours and clouds were rolling in, growing darker with each passing minute. It was nearly 3:00, well past lunchtime at the Rammer Jammer. Wade had brought Earl and his nurse to the plantation before Zoe had arrived and headed back to the Rammer Jammer. She was waiting anxiously for him to come back.<p>

The screen door opened and closed. Zoe could tell by the soft grunting and uneven steps that it was Earl.

"You should be resting," she said without turning to look at him. She heard the creak of the porch swing as he sat down, grunting again as he slid to the back of the swing.

"Plenty of time for that when I'm dead, Doc," he replied. Zoe rolled her eyes, still not looking at him. That was his excuse these days, every time he did something he wasn't supposed to. "A potted watch can't grow time." Zoe turned then, an eye raised at his left of center comment.

"What?"

"A potted watch can't grow time," Earl said. "Mary Ellen used to say that. "I like 'a watched pot never boils' better myself but Mary Ellen's been on my mind lately, more than usual anyway, so I'll use her sayin' instead."

"What does it mean?"

"It means you're wastin' your time, standin' there and waitin' for Wade to come down the road."

"He said he'd be here."

"And he will," Earl agreed. "But he's gonna make sure everythin' is okay in town first, people are out of harms way best they can be an' all. You standin' there watchin' the road ain't gonna do a thing to make him come any faster." Zoe sighed and joined Earl on the swing.

"We don't have storms like this in New York," she told him. "I'm not sure I like this very much."

"No one likes a twister outbreak, girl," Earl said, rolling his own eyes. "One minute you're standin' on your porch watchin' the wind blow, the next you're hidin' in the basement while it rumbles through and one more minute later, you're standin' where your porch used to be."

"I really like this porch," Zoe commented.

"It's a good porch," Earl agreed. They didn't speak again for several minutes, both watching the sky growing ever darker. Zoe sneaked a look at Earl. His skin was a golden yellow now, a telltale sign that his liver had all but stopped. The whites of his eyes too had yellowed and yet he still had a pale look about him. He was fading before their very eyes. Zoe squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying not to think of what was to come.

"You and Wade are fightin." It wasn't a question but a comment. Zoe sighed.

"Sort of," she admitted. "He never told me about Tansy. Or that he's still legally married to her." Earl shook his head.

"I've always blamed myself for that," he said. "If I'd a been a better father, paid attention to what my kids were doin' like I should've, he'd have never ended up in that situation. After their mama died, I left them to raise themselves. Reckon it ain't nothin' short of a miracle they turned out this good. They ain't perfect by no means. Meredith spends more time then she's got tryin' to prove she's above her raisin' and Wade, he got himself into all that mess with Tansy and that messed him up right good." Earl looked at Zoe.

"You know, you're the first girl he's had a relationship with sense. I reckon you'll be the last too." Zoe furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he ain't dated nobody since Tansy," Earl said. "He did his share of sleeping around…"

"About being the last," Zoe interrupted. She was familiar with Wade's conquests before her and didn't need further details. "What do you mean?"

"I know my boy, even if I ain't been the best father. He loves you. He's not gonna let you go without a fight. And if he does happen to lose you – and I pray he don't – he ain't never gonna put himself out there again."

Zoe didn't say anything. She'd admitted to herself she loved Wade but hadn't told him and he certainly had told her anything of the sort either.

"I know he messed up with you, Doc. He can be a real asshole when he wants to be, but half the time, it ain't on purpose. He just don't know how to act in certain situations. I won't there for him when he got Tansy pregnant and ran off and got married but I remember seeing him struggle, tryin' to decide what to do. He loved football and he wanted nothin' more than to get out of here. Both my kids did. Can't blame 'em for that. But he got stuck here and until you come along, I reckon he still felt stuck here, like there won't really nothin' worth livin' for. Then you showed up, blowin' the fuse box and yellin' about one thing then the other."

Zoe considered what Earl was saying. She'd always believed Earl was smarter than he appeared, that he seen more and knew more than most people in the town. He had proven her right on more than one occasion. He'd unwittingly – or perhaps knowingly – set herself to thinking about Wade then, the decisions facing him at just 18 after he'd already been through so much. Her anger at him ebbed some.

"He's a good guy," she told Earl. "And yeah, he can be an asshole sometimes. And God forbid he pick his clothes up off the floor or watch anything besides cartoons if he gets to the television first in the mornings. But that's what makes him him. He drives me crazy but…" Zoe looked at Earl. "I'm crazy about him." Earl nodded.

"I know," he said. "I can see it when you look at him with that big, goofy smile and bright eyes." Zoe grinned guiltily. The wind had picked up even more and the sky was now so dark no one would ever know it wasn't even dinnertime yet. Beside her, Earl took a deep breath.

"You'll look after him, won't you?" he asked. "You know, after I'm gone and all?" It was the first time Zoe had seen fear and worry in his eyes since the day he walked into her office the first time. She reached over and covered Earl's hand with her own. She thought briefly of the days when the last thing she'd do would be to comfort a patient, let alone care about them the way she cared about Earl.

"Of course," she promised. "He looks after me all the time. Even when I don't deserve it. I won't – I couldn't – turn my back on him now." Earl smiled sadly and nodded.

"Thank you," he said. The sound of Wade's car turning into the plantation's long drive made its way to Zoe's ears. She breathed a sigh of relief, just as the first rumble of thunder sounded in the far distance. "Looks like she's knockin' on the door," Earl said, nodding towards the western sky where the clouds were rolling in. They both watched as Wade pulled his car into Lavon's garage, taking advantage of Lavon being gone in the Navigator.

"Opportunist," Zoe muttered. Beside her, Earl chuckled.

"Just keepin' his other woman," he said, making Zoe grin. They listened as the garage door closed and a few moments later, Wade appeared in yard. He climbed the stairs, hands shoved in his pockets as he took in the sight of his girlfriend and father seated side by side. Zoe's hand was still covering Earl's.

"Looks like I'm missin' the party," he commented. Earl patted Zoe's hand with his free one before pulling both hands into his own lap.

"Just havin' a chat with the Doc," he said.

"How are things in town?" Zoe asked him. "Everyone off the streets?"

"For the most part," Wade said, leaning on the bannister. He crossed his arms over his chest and glanced west where the clouds were even darker and menacing than the ones overhead. "It's barebones now. Lavon set up shop at the Rammer Jammer – got emergency personnel hangin' out, first responders and the like. And Tom Long – gonna let him ring the sirens, given him somethin' to do to keep him out of the way."

"Reckon they can go down to the cellar if somethin' happens," Earl commented. Wade nodded and glanced at Zoe who averted her eyes in an effort avoid being caught looking at him. Earl caught it though. "I'm gonna head inside, join Margaret in gluin' myself to the TV screen to watch the weather updates. You kids keep an eye on the sky, come on inside when it starts turnin.'" Earl started to struggle to his feet. Wade and Zoe were both quick to reach to help him.

"Here, Dad, let me help you," Wade said. He and Zoe traded a meaningful look. She remained on the porch and waited for Wade to get Earl settled inside. It was several minutes before Wade returned.

"It's so dark," Zoe commented as Wade sat down beside her. "I've never seen a storm like this."

"It's shapin' up to be a super storm," Wade agreed. He leaned forward his elbows on his knees, hands locked together. It was what Zoe had come to know as his nervous stance. "I should really be at the Rammer Jammer. I don't want to leave you and Earl and Margaret out here alone, but that's my bar and it's the command center. Lavon's gonna need my help…" Zoe could see his struggle between wanting to be there with her and Earl and wanting to be in the middle of the town action.

"You have a saving people thing," she commented, piecing things together in her mind for the first time. Wade looked at her.

"A what?"

"A saving people thing. Like right now, you're dying to be at the Rammer Jammer, right in the heart of everything, ready to jump into action at a second's notice. But if you were there, you'd be dying to be here because I'm here and your dad and Margaret and in your mind, we wouldn't be safe if you weren't with us." Wade remained quiet so she continued.

"Like with Judson. The second you found out for sure that he wasn't who he said he was, you went into overdrive to protect me and the night that guy broke into your house thinking it was mine, you spent most of the night trying to find it and the rest of it sitting with me while wanting to be out there looking for him.

"You're always the first person to help Lavon, no matter how big or small his request is. Same with George. And your dad? How many other sons would sing their dad down from a town roof once a month in front of all their neighbors? And now that he's sick, you're there for him, whatever he needs. And me – you're always, always there for me, even when I don't deserve it." Zoe took a deep breath.

"Knowing that about you, and having my theories as to why you're that way, it only makes sense for you to give up everything for Tansy. I wouldn't expect anything less from you." Wade finally looked at Zoe, having taken in every word she'd said.

"Why do you think I'm 'that way?'" he asked, curious to hear her answer.

"Because you couldn't save your mom," Zoe answered easily. "Or your dad, even. Tansy was someone you could save and so you did everything you could, even if that meant giving up your own dreams." Wade considered what she said. He'd never really thought about it, but it made sense.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't see it as my chance to have a real family again," he admitted. "I had every opportunity to stay at Tennessee and play football, graduate. They have programs, people that could have helped. But she was Tansy and she was having my kid and that was that." He took a chance and reached over to take Zoe's hand. He was relieved when she let him.

"You know, that was what attracted me to you when you first moved to town," he said, gently moving his thumb back and forth across the top of her hand. "You had all these plans and big dreams and suddenly, without warning, they were all derailed. I got that, knew what it was like to feel lost. I almost told you everything a couple times in those early days, the days when you'd come to the Rammer Jammer and drink a whole bottle of wine by yourself. I really wish I would've." Zoe cracked a smile.

"And here I thought you were attracted to me because I'm hot," she quipped, touched by his confession. Wade chuckled as thunder sounded even closer.

"You showing up on my doorstep in a flimsy little shirt, yellin' at me 'bout the power box and church social smiles sure didn't hurt none," he told her.

"Dumb church social smile," Zoe retorted. "Works every time." Wade let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Another wave of relief washed over him as she nestled into his side.

"I know we're not okay, exactly, but I'm hoping this means you're not leaving me," Wade said. Zoe looked up at him as the first flash of lightening lit up the now dark sky.

"I'm not leaving you," she confirmed. "I'm still hurt. You can't lie to me like that, Wade. You shouldn't lie to anyone like that but when you're dating a girl who's been lied to most of her life by people she trusts, you really, really can't lie like that."

"I'm sorry," Wade said again. "I am, Zoe. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do – ever." Zoe looked up at him.

"I know," she said, meaning it. "I'm working on forgiving you. Just be patient with me, okay?"

"Always am," Wade answered. He kissed her temple softy. She looked at him sternly all of a sudden.

"You are getting a divorce, aren't you?" she demanded.

"I am," he confirmed. "Tucker finally got everything through the courts. I'll be a divorced man by the end of next month."

"Good. I wouldn't want to have to handle Tansy myself."

"Handle her yourself?" Wade asked, feeling the lightness returning between them. "What, exactly, would you do?"

"I'm a trained surgeon. I can cut her open, rearrange some things and sew her back up in less than two hours. Less than one if I don't let the anesthesia set in first and do a sloppy job." Wade chuckled.

"There will be no need for that, Doc." Thunder boomed again, this time making the porch tremble. It brought with it a brilliant streak of lightening which seemed to open up the sky, a sudden deluge of rain appearing out of nowhere. "That'd be our cue to go inside," Wade said. He let Zoe lead the way. She made a beeline for the kitchen while Wade joined Earl and Margaret in front of the TV, perching on the arm of the sofa as they watched Norm Sprouse explain the colorful radar map full of warning boxes.

"Eat this," came Zoe's voice. She was holding a plate with a sandwich and chips out for Wade. "I made sandwiches for everyone earlier and saved you one. You should probably eat it now, in case we lose electricity or have to go down to the basement."

"It's not a matter of if we have to go down to the basement but when," Margaret said, her eyes never leaving the TV screen.

"Thanks, babe," Wade said, accepting the sandwich from her. She settled in the armchair, nervously alternating between tapping her fingers on the armrest and spinning her hair around her fingers. Outside, it rained still harder, thundered even louder. Lightening popped and soon, there was the sound of something pounding at the house.

"Listen to that hail," Earl commented. "How big is it?" Wade stood and wandered over to a nearby window. The hail was falling fast and hard. It looked almost like snow covering the plantation's lawn.

"Baseball-sized, easy," he reported. "Damn wonder it ain't broke out a window yet."

"Twister's comin,'" Earl said. "Big hail is always a sign."

"The map will tell you plenty are heading this way," Margaret said, nodding at the screen. "They're touching down all over the place in the next county now."

"Should we go to the basement?" Zoe asked.

"Not yet," Wade answered. "When the tornado sirens sound and the warnings say 'Bluebell,' then we'll go down. For now, we'll just watch, okay?" In reply, she glanced nervously at Earl who was weak as it was and back at Wade. He knew she was asking him if they should go ahead and get Earl in a safe place, given that he couldn't move quickly. "I'll take care of it," he whispered as he passed her, heading for the kitchen with his now empty plate.

He dug a soda out of the fridge and popped the tab. Standing at the counter where he could still see the TV, he took in the scene. His father, his nurse, and his girlfriend, all gathered around the television, watching as severe weather broke out all around them, rain and hail slamming at the home. A big tree branch flew past the window and the distant sound of glass breaking told him either the plantation's work truck or equipment shed, maybe both, was now without windows.

Earl was frail and instinctively, he knew his father's time was down to days, a couple of weeks at best. These were some of the last good moments, if they could be called good, that Earl would have before he started slipping into unconsciousness and slowly shutting down like that pamphlet the hospice nurse had given him and Meredith described. Zoe was right. He'd have to get him to the basement sooner rather than later.

Margaret was a sweet older lady, a true Godsend for caring for Earl. Wade knew she was widowed and had several kids and grandchildren. She was probably worried sick about them and would rather be anywhere but where she currently was. He felt almost guilty for pulling her away from them and found himself wishing he'd called and told her to stay home. He would have, if he'd thought about it earlier.

And then there was Zoe. She was terrified. He could see it in her body language, the way she was curled into the chair, nervously playing with her hair and tapping out a rhythm on the chair's arm. She didn't know what was happening, had never experienced anything like this before. Her tough New Yorker persona was completely gone at that moment. It was on him to keep all three of them as much out of harm's way as he could. In that moment, he had never felt older.

"Dad? Let's get you and Margaret settled in the basement, just to be safe. Lavon's got all the emergency supplies you could need down there, radio, blankets, pillows, everything." Much to his surprise, Earl nor Margaret argued. He didn't expect any protest from Margaret but he'd been prepared to manhandle his father into the basement if needed. Zoe stood too, looking to help. On the TV, they were talking furiously about funnel cloud sightings, new warnings and urging people to take cover right away.

"Come on," Wade said, pointing Margaret towards the basement door. He reached out to put an arm around Earl's shoulders to help him.

"What do I do?" Zoe asked. She looked even smaller than usual, wearing leggings, her favorite Hunter boots and, Wade realized for the first time, one of his flannel shirts.

"Hang tight for the moment," he told her. "Keep an eye on the weather until we can get the radio on and the weather reports coming in. If you hear sirens though, get downstairs." Zoe nodded. The rain came down still harder, making it hard to hear the TV. Zoe reached for the remote and turned it up, perching tensely on the edge of the couch, taking her role as weather watcher seriously.

It didn't take Wade long to get Earl and Margaret settled in. Lavon had gone above and beyond making his storm shelter as comfortable as possible. Wade suspected the additional supplies and blankets were put there either by him or Zoe after they learned Earl would be riding the storms out there. When he returned upstairs, the color had drained from Zoe's face.

"What's the story, Doc?" he asked.

"They're saying Bluebell," she said. "It's been storming for twenty minutes but they haven't said Bluebell's name yet. Now they're saying it. And that means there are tornadoes on the way. They're coming, Wade. Here." She was panicking.

"It's gonna be okay," Wade said, pulling her into a hug. "We're gonna be just fine." He had just enough time to catch a new warning, this one for Bluebell, pop up on the screen before there was a loud pop followed by the power shutting down.

"Dammit," Zoe said, pulling away and looking around as if she hoped the power would magically pop back on.

"It's fine," Wade said again. "We've got the radio goin' downstairs. They'll tell us everything the news is reporting." Zoe looked up at him.

"I'm scared," she admitted. He nodded.

"I know," he said. "Come here." He pulled her back into his arms. She fisted his shirt in both hands and held him close to her, her head on his chest as she took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Wade rested his head against hers. "I love you," he whispered just loud enough for her to hear over the rain and thunder. She looked up at him again, still holding on to his shirt. It wasn't a big, romantic scene like she'd allowed herself to picture their first 'I love yous' to be but it was still perfect.

"I love you, too," she replied, looking him square in the eye. He nodded, knowing she meant it as much as he had. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips for the first time in two days. Suddenly, it was deathly quiet.

"It stopped," Zoe said, pulling away and looking out the window.

"Shit," Wade said, feeling panic for the first time as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the basement.

"What?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at the hail-covered yard. Even the wind had ceased suddenly. "It stopped. That's good, right?" If it could start as suddenly as it had, surely it could stop as suddenly too.

"No, it's not good at all," Wade said. The basement door was a mere 10 feet away but it felt like he had miles to go. He heard the rumbling he'd been waiting for in the absence of the rain.

"Is that a train?" Zoe asked, looking confused. They were too far from the train tracks to hear a train and surely one wouldn't be running in this weather.

"It's a twister," Wade told her, pushing her through the basement door ahead of him. "Get downstairs."

Outside, the first sirens sounded.

* * *

><p><strong>Dun dun dun... I'm super excited to write this next update. It's going to test me a little bit, I think. <strong>

**Thank you for reading!**


	27. Tornado

**WHEW! This was a bear to write. And I had to use Little Big Town's "Tornado" as inspiration - too perfect. This bounces between the present and the storm. I wanted to try a little something different for this update. **

**Since the last update I wrote, we've had our own tornado outbreak. 18 confirmed tornadoes last week - it was good times. **

**THANK YOU to everyone who is reading and reviewing and commenting. I just love all of you! **

**THINGS I OWN: A 1953 edition of a collection of Faulkner stories. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>Zoe sat quietly, the only light in the room emitting from a dimmed light overhead. For the first time in more than eighteen hours, it was quiet. She listened intently to the soft puffs of breath emitting from Wade, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he slept, knocked out cold, this time by the pain meds. The door squeaked softly and light flooded into the room momentarily before the dark returned.<p>

"Zoe?" came Lavon's voice. "I'm going to head back to Bluebell with George. I'm leaving the Navigator here for you." He held up the keys before setting them as quietly as he could on a nearby table.

"How is everyone?" she asked.

"Hanging in there," Lavon replied, coming to stand by her. "Tom Long came out of surgery fine, doctor says he'll make a full recovery. Lemon called George to check in and update everyone on what's going on in Bluebell. He wanted me to let you know Earl and Margaret are fine. They're gonna stay at the plantation at least for the night, if not longer. No one's made it out to Earl's yet to see what the damage is and the roads are full of debris, can't get Margaret home neither."

"Wade will be relieved," Zoe said. "I know he was worried about his dad."

"How is he?" Lavon asked, nodding at Wade.

"Lucky," Zoe answered. "He's incredibly lucky. He's got a pretty nasty concussion, broke a few ribs and dislocated his shoulder but it could have been worse." Tears that had been threatening Zoe's eyes all evening long tried once more to fall but again, with a lot of effort, she pushed them back. "It could have been so much worse." Lavon reached out and squeezed his friend's shoulder in support.

"You did good today, Dr. Hart," he told her. "You helped a lot of people, kept your cool when a lot would have lost it. You were incredibly brave."

"I was just doing my job," Zoe replied. She stifled a yawn. Lavon squeezed her shoulder again.

"I'll be back in the morning," he told her. "Try and get some sleep, okay?" Zoe nodded.

"If you need me in Bluebell, let me know," she said. "I don't want to leave Wade, but he's in good hands here. If it gets to be too much for Brick…"

"I think we'll be fine. The pair of you triaged most everyone that was injured enough to require medical attention. You stay here with Wade, maybe check on the others who are hospitalized and send me a report?"

"I will," Zoe promised. "And hey, good work to you too. All that emergency preparedness planning you did saved a lot of lives today." Lavon shrugged.

"Just doing my job," he repeated. "Now it's time to assess the damage and start cleaning up."

"We didn't even get hit the hardest," Zoe said, thinking of those in the surrounding areas who had lost everything. While Bluebell had suffered heavy damage, homes and businesses were still standing. Some would need extensive repairs and the debris piled in the usually idyllic streets would take days to fully clear, but all and all, Bluebell had been lucky. She made herself remember that as she looked at Wade, lying in the bed with a bandage around his head and a sling on his arm.

"Hard to believe," Lavon said, his mind in the same place as Zoe's. "I'll see you in the morning." Light flooded the room once more and then it was dark again. Zoe stretched and then tried to get comfortable in the vinyl-covered armchair.

Exhaustion filled every nook and cranny of her petite frame. Her muscles were stiff and she ached all over. She had her own set of bumps and bruises that tinged when she moved the wrong way and she rolled her neck, trying to work the knots out of it. She knew she should be asleep. She wanted to be asleep. But adrenaline was still coursing through her and as much as she wanted to, she just couldn't.

"Mmm…," Wade groaned, moving around in his sleep. Zoe, equal parts concerned girlfriend and trained surgeon, moved to check on him.

"Hey," she said softly, putting a soothing hand on his non-injured arm. "Don't move so much, okay?" She watched as Wade's eyes fluttered open. It took him several long moments to wake up enough to focus on her, his thoughts hazy from both the blow to his head and the pain medication he was on.

"Zoe," he choked out.

"Hey," she said again, reaching out to adjust the bandage on his head. "How are you feeling? Any pain?"

"A little," Wade admitted. He winced. "Maybe a lot. My head. And my ribs." Zoe nodded and reached for the call button to bring in a nurse.

"The pain medicine is wearing off," she told him. "You're going to have quite the headache for the next few days."

"I've got quite the headache every day, Doc," he said. "She's 100 pounds soaking wet and five-foot-nothin.'"

"Cute," Zoe said. "A huge knot on your head and you're still a comedian." The nurse's voice came through the speaker and Zoe asked, ordered, really, for them to come to Wade's room with another round of pain meds.

"Tom," Wade said suddenly. "Where is he? How is he?" Zoe could tell he was starting to remember the barn collapse.

"He's fine," Zoe soothed. "He needed surgery to stop some internal bleeding but everything went well. Lavon said he's going to make a full recovery. And Lemon called to let us know Earl and Margaret are fine too. Lavon will be back in the morning to see you."

"You're sure Tom's fine?" Wade pressed.

"I'm sure," Zoe said, even though she only had what Lavon had told her to go on. She had no reason to doubt him however. "He'll be back in Bluebell with Wanda waiting on him hand and foot before you know it."

"What about you?" Wade asked. "You okay?" Zoe smiled softly at him.

"I'm okay," she told him. "Now, at least. I was so worried about you. I hated that I couldn't come with you but I had to stay and help."

"You didn't miss much," Wade said, wincing a little as an especially sharp pain shot through his shoulder. "George's truck ain't the smoothest ridin' thing anyway. Put a guy in it with a bunch of broken stuff and another one with even more broken stuff and internal injuries, add in a scared teenager and dodging debris and drivin' through fields and everythin' else and it's a real amusement ride."

"It was the quickest way to get you two here," Zoe told him. "Getting ambulances to Bluebell takes enough time on a good day." The nurse appeared then and Zoe stood back, letting her do her job.

"There," she said, administering the last of the pain medication into Wade's I.V. "That'll help you be a little more comfortable." She turned and looked at Zoe. "It's past visiting hours," she said pointedly.

"I'm his doctor," Zoe replied. She wasn't about to leave.

"You don't work here."

"Still his doctor," Zoe shot back. "I treated him at the scene. I'm Dr. Zoe Hart. I 'm sure it's in his chart somewhere."

"It is," the nurse confirmed. "As 'Zoe Hart, girlfriend' in the emergency contact space."

"Look, I'm not leaving," Zoe informed her. "I am his girlfriend. But I'm also his doctor. And I treated at least half of anyone else who came to this hospital from Bluebell in the last eighteen hours. I haven't showered and I am exhausted. I also don't care about things like visiting hours."

"Leave it alone, nurse," Wade said. "She's little but she's scrappy."

"Fine," the nurse said, relenting. She'd been busy enough caring for tornado victims without having to argue with a stubborn woman the size of her left thumb. "Tell you what, I'm feeling generous. Not only will I let you stay, I'll bring you down a set of scrubs to change into after I make my rounds. You can take a shower too, if you want. Might have to call down to pediatrics to get some small enough to fit you though."

"Thanks," Zoe said, her tone short. The nurse left and Wade chuckled which quickly turned into a wince. "Laughing isn't a good idea right now," Zoe told him. "Broken ribs make sure absolutely nothing is funny."

"That nurse was twice your size," he told Zoe. "She could've slung you over her shoulder and toted you out of here if she really wanted to."

"I'd like to see her try."

"Me too. Those twisters would look like a gentle spring breeze compared to the fit you'd throw." Even as he talked, Wade's eyes were growing heavy, his medicine working already. Zoe moved so she was once more by his bed.

"Get some sleep," she told him. "If you're on your best behavior, I might get to take you home in a day or two."

"You should sleep too," Wade told her, his eyes closed.

"I'll try," Zoe answered, shaking her head at how Wade was always taking care of someone besides himself. She kissed his forehead. "I love you," she whispered.

"Love you," Wade mumbled. Then he was fast asleep.

* * *

><p><em>"Wade!" Zoe called, tripping over her own feet as she stumbled down the basement stairs, catching herself on the railing to avoid full on falling.<em>

_"Right here," he answered, slamming the basement door and coming up behind her in one swift motion. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down the remainder of the stairs. "Get down." He pushed her down to the floor near Earl and Margaret who were both staring up at the ceiling as though they could see through it. The radio, running on battery powered, babbled on about tornadoes. They could barely hear it over the ever growing roar all around them._

_"What's happening?" Zoe called out to no one in particular. She grabbed for Wade but he was rummaging through a box of supplies across the room._

_"It's a tornado, Dr. Hart!" Margaret called. Wade arrived at her side, gripping a flashlight._

_"Stay down," he ordered, also glancing up at the ceiling as well. The roar was deafening now. Around them and above them, the house started to shake._

_"Wade!" Zoe cried. His arms were around her almost instantly, pulling her into his chest._

_"I've got you," he said, hugging her tight. "I've got you. It's gonna be okay." She clung to him, her head buried in her chest as the house shook still harder. Above them, the sound of glass shattering sounded out like a symphony, mixing in with the roaring of the tornado and the sounds of debris, big and small, tearing through Bluebell._

_"The house is blowing apart!" Zoe shrieked, making herself as small as possible against Wade. It wasn't in her character to be afraid but this was like nothing she had experienced before._

_"We're okay, Doc," Wade said. Zoe, her senses heightened, heard the doubt in his voice._

_The roaring and shaking went on for what felt like an eternity to Zoe but really was less than two minutes. Almost as quickly as it had come, it was gone. It was only when it was silent that Wade loosened his grip on Zoe._

_"She's over," Earl commented._

_"There's more comin,'" Wade replied. He looked at the stairs, debating something. "Y'all okay?" he asked Earl and Margaret._

_"Fine and dandy, save for my liver," Earl quipped. Margaret gave him a harsh look but nodded in response to Wade's question. All color had drained from her face. He looked at Zoe. She too was pale, her eyes big and scared._

_"You okay?" he asked softly, grazing his thumb across her cheek._

_"I think," she squeaked out, still shaking. Wade reached and squeezed her hand. He glanced back at the stairs before turning back to them._

_"Let's stay down here for a while," he said. "Listen to the radio, see what the forecast has to say." No one protested._

_The minutes pressed on. The announcer on the radio gave rapid-fire updates, doing his best to list warnings as they were posted and relay important messages. There was more roaring, more shaking and then calm again. No one said much. Margaret moved at one point, muttering that it was time for Earl's medicine. Someone – Wade or Lavon – had thought to bring a couple of doses to the basement and she fished them out of the supply box._

_Wade stood and started pacing, anxious to know what was going on above him. Zoe remained in the same spot, feeling a certain sense of safety there having now made it through at least two tornadoes. After a while, she took her cell phone from the chest pocket of Wade's flannel shirt she was wearing. She had no service and so she replaced it and waited._

_It had been close to an hour with another train-like roar sounded._

_"Here we go again," Earl commented. Wordlessly, Wade resumed his spot next to Zoe as they waited for another storm to pass by. This one shook the hardest, roared the loudest. Wade took the shaking as a good sign, hoping it meant the house was still standing above them. When it was over, they realized they'd lost the radio station. Wade went to it and fiddled with the dial until another frequency came in._

_"We're not out of the woods," reported the announcer. "The first round has moved through but a second line of storms, at least equal in strength to the ones we just saw, will begin moving into the area around 9pm. Citizens are urged to remain in their safe place…"_

_"I can't sit here any longer," Wade said. "I gotta see what's going on." He stood and started up the stairs. He was halfway up them when Zoe decided it was time to move._

_"Wait," she said, springing to her feet. "Is it safe?"_

_"You heard the guy on the radio. Worst of this line has moved out, got more comin' later. You stay right here. I'm gonna go up and see what the damage is." He was at the top of the stairs, his hand on the doorknob, when he realized Zoe was following him. "Stay put," he said again._

_"I'm coming with you," Zoe informed him. He looked at her for a moment before deciding it wasn't worth arguing with her in the moment. He pushed open the door. Zoe gasped._

_"Damn," Wade muttered. The kitchen and living room were covered in glass and debris, every window of the plantation home blown out. Sticks and leaves littered the room. It was bad but it wasn't as bad as he was expecting. He glanced up to make sure the ceiling looked secure before cautiously stepping into the rest of the house._

_"I thought the house was gone," Zoe admitted, carefully picking her way through the kitchen towards the door._

_"Me too," Wade admitted. "Careful," he warned, making his own way in the same direction. "We don't know if there's any structural damage."_

_Zoe made it to the door first and with some difficulty, pushed it open, a thick branch blocking her way. "Wow," she said, looking out over the plantation. Several big oak trees, some of them hundreds of years old, had been pulled out of the ground, roots and all, and tossed around like toothpicks. The planation's sweeping lawn looked more like a stretch of land in mid-deforestation. Wade let out a low whistle behind her._

_"Looks like the shed's gone," he said, pointing towards a big piece of metal that Zoe now recognized as a piece of the roof of the storage unit behind the plantation._

_"What about our houses?" Zoe asked._

_"Come on." Wade took her hand and led her across the yard. He stopped a ways from the house and turned to check it over. Every window was gone and it would need a new roof as most of the shingles had been ripped away but it looked like it had withstood the worst of it, at least for now. "It'll be fine to ride the next round out in," he said. They continued walking. Zoe let out a sigh of relief when their homes, still standing, came into view._

_"We're both gonna need a few shingles," Wade commented, making a quick assessment of the damage. "And a few new windows too."_

_"They look like they fared better than the main house," Zoe answered._

_"Tornadoes are funny like that," Wade replied. "They'll drop out of the sky, turn your neighbor's house into a pile of matches and not even blow the mail out of your mailbox twenty yards away." They watched as Burt Reynolds slunk off of Zoe's porch and into the bushes._

_"Stupid gator," Zoe mumbled. Wade chuckled. Together, they headed back to the plantation. Earl and Margaret had made their way out of the basement and were standing on the porch, taking things in._

_"I thought it was a goner," Earl called._

_"Me too," Wade called back. "Y'all should be fine to stay here tonight, ride out the next round. There's plenty of batteries for the radio. Keep it on until the storms are over."_

_"Where you goin'?" Earl asked his son._

_"Gotta get down to the Rammer Jammer. We've got a break in the weather and I'm sure there's people gonna need some help while we can get to 'em." A light rain had started to fall but none of them felt it. "You all stay here, stay put and pay attention to what's goin' on. Get down to the basement sooner rather than later, you hear?" Margaret readily agreed while Earl muttered something that sounded like mutinous compliance. Zoe didn't say anything but followed them inside._

_Wade headed to the garage to see if he could get his car out, not sure if the roads were remotely passable but deciding to make it as far as he could before going on foot. A tree was blocking the garage though and so he headed around to wear he'd last left the plantation work truck, hoping it was still in one piece. Aside from a broken windshield, he was in luck._

_"Will it start?" came Zoe's voice. Wade looked up. She'd pulled her hair into a ponytail and was holding a medical bag in each hand._

_"Where do you think you're goin'?" Wade asked, yanking on the driver's side door to open it._

_"With you," she answered matter-of-factly. She started around to the passenger side where Wade met her. He pushed it shut just as she opened it._

_"No you're not."_

_"Yeah, I am."_

_"Zoe, you're stayin' here."_

_"Wade, I'm not," Zoe told him firmly. She held his eyes with her own, challenging him. "I'm a doctor. People might be hurt. They'll need me. Lavon said it himself this morning." Wade stood there, torn for a moment. He wanted nothing more than to leave her at the plantation where he knew it was reasonably safe. But he also knew she had a point. She was a doctor and one of only two doctors in the town at that. She was probably needed._

_"Fine," he relented. "Hang on." He took off his plaid shirt and wrapped it around his hand, carefully removing as many shards of glass as he could from the truck seat. It wasn't hard work – the tornado had made a clean break of the windshield and took most of the glass with it. When he was satisfied, he put his shirt back on and held the door for Zoe._

_It was slow going into town. The drive that should have taken less than 10 minutes took nearly an hour. Wade drove slowly, navigating around numerous downed trees and power lines, taking alternate routes and driving through fields and yards. Neither of them spoke much, each taking in the damage to the town. They both let out a sigh of relief when they arrived at the Rammer Jammer._

_"Zoe!" Lavon called as soon as they walked through the door. "I've been trying to reach you. Cell service is down. We need you. We've set up a triage in the town square. No serious injuries yet but Brick's overrun with minor injuries."_

_"I'm on it," Zoe said, turning towards the door she'd just walked through. Wade grabbed her arm to stop her._

_"There's more storms comin,'" he reminded her. "Promise me you'll pay attention to the weather?"_

_"I promise," Zoe said. She had no intentions of being anywhere other than a basement or storm cellar if and when another tornado struck. "You have to promise the same though."_

_"I promise," Wade agreed. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Love you," he whispered, still getting used to the words. Zoe smiled up at him._

_"Love you too," she said, testing the words out. She liked how they sounded. She turned and left. Wade watched her for several moments, unable to shake the knot in his stomach._

_"Did I just hear 'I love yous' exchanged?" Lavon asked. Wade turned to Lavon._

_"You did," he confirmed. "That's my girl you just sent out there."_

_"She'll be fine," Lavon said, sensing Wade's nervousness. He clapped Wade's shoulder. "How are things lookin' at the plantation?"_

_"It's all still standin' but you ain't got a window left in the place, probably gonna need to replace some of the floors with the rain blowin' in and debris and all. There are trees and power lines down everywhere – took me and Zoe nearly an hour to get here. Looks like all the house are still standin' but some of 'em had right smart damage." Lavon nodded, making mental notes._

_"Better report than what I was expected," he admitted. "We hunkered down in the cellar. I thought for sure this place was going to be leveled when we came up."_

_"Looks like most of Main Street survived okay," Wade commented. "At least for now." He looked around at the collection of emergency personnel and locals mulling around, waiting for assignments or else coming back in with a report for Lavon. "I'll get Jake to start making up some sandwiches to pass out, maybe see if we can get the charcoal grill fired up and start feedin' people. It'll probably be days before we get power back, might as well use up what we can before it goes bad."_

_"Thanks, my man," Lavon said. "Listen, I might need you to go out and help clear out some of the debris in the main streets. You're a little more – able-bodied – than some folks." Wade nodded._

_"Just let me know what to do," he said. "Jake! Let's get to cookin.'"_

* * *

><p>Zoe tapped lightly on the door of Tom Long's hospital door before entering. Like Wade's room, Tom's was dimly lit, a couple of machines beeping softly. Wanda was curled up in a chair near his bed, sleeping soundly, her hand heavily wrapped in gauze from where Zoe had stitched it up earlier. Zoe felt a surge of empathy for the woman.<p>

"Hi, Dr. Hart," greeted a sleepy-sounding Tom Long. Zoe smiled at him. He looked pale and had some bumps and bruises but she had never been happier to hear his voice.

"I thought you'd be asleep," she told him. "All that pain medication and sedatives."

"Probably will be before too long," Tom answered. "It's all I can do to stay awake right now."

"The doctor says you'll make a full recovery."

"Of course I will," Tom said. "Going to take more than a tornado to take me down." Zoe grinned at how confident he sounded. "How's Wade doing? They haven't told me much about what's going on in Bluebell."

"He's going to be fine. He's got a pretty nasty concussion, a dislocated shoulder and some broken ribs that he's going to feel for a while. But he'll be okay."

"That was some scary stuff," Tom commented. Zoe nodded.

"That's one way of putting it." An involuntarily chill ran through her as she thought back through the last several hours. "I'm going to get back to Wade, but I wanted to check on you, see how you're doing."

"Thank you, Dr. Hart," Tom said. "You saved my life." Zoe shook her head.

"I didn't. The surgeon who operated on you did."

"He said without the care I received in the field I wouldn't have made it."

"I was just doing my job," Zoe said modestly. Wanda shifted around in her chair but didn't wake up. "Get some rest, okay?"

"Okay," Tom agreed. "Tell Wade I said thanks too." Zoe smiled.

"I will."

* * *

><p><em>Zoe tossed yet another pair of latex gloves into the makeshift trash can and wiped the sweat from her brow. For the last two hours, she and Brick had tended to what felt like the whole of Bluebell, stitching up wounds but mostly calming fears that bumps and bruises weren't as bad as they appeared. She had just finished stitching the hand of the Cooper's two year old who had picked up a piece of glass and at the moment at least, triage was empty.<em>

_"I saved you a burger they brought over from the Rammer Jammer," Brick said as Zoe sat down beside him on one of the folding chairs that had served for examining patients most of the evening and into the night. "It's cold now but you should eat something." He passed a burger wrapped in aluminum foil over to her. The wind had picked up again, a telltale sign the next round was blowing in._

_"Thanks," she said as she unwrapped it. Cold or not, she was starving. Brick passed her a warm can of Diet Coke too._

_"You did good work today, Dr. Hart."_

_"Likewise, Dr. Breeland." Brick looked at her._

_"I mean it," he said. "You held your own. You worked hard. You took care of people. I know I give you a hard time, but you're a good doctor, Zoe. A damn good doctor." Zoe looked at him for a long moment before reaching out and laying her hand on his forehead. Brick swatted it away._

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Checking for fever. You're being nice to me. You're clearly delirious." Brick sighed._

_"I just said I know I give you a hard time," he reminded her. "But you are a good doctor, despite it all. Harley would be proud of you." Zoe gave him a soft smile._

_"Thanks, Brick," she said. "That means a lot. More than you realize, probably."_

_"I know now isn't the time or place to discuss this, but I know that you're year is almost up here in Bluebell and, well, I just wanted to let you know that your half of the practice is yours as long as you want it."_

_"Well Harley did leave it to me," Zoe quipped._

_"You know what I mean." Zoe chuckled._

_"I do," she agreed. She looked around at the place she'd learned to call home over the last several months. It was entirely dark, save for their little spot in the town square where generators worked flood lights. In the distance, the Rammer Jammer was lit up too, ran also on generator power. She could see people mulling around. It had become the gathering point for most of the town. Having spent most of her life working to fit in, both in Bluebell and New York, she couldn't help but feel that for the first time, she was exactly where she was supposed to be._

_"Dr. Hart! Dr. Breeland!" came someone's voice in the darkness. Zoe didn't recognize the voice but she did catch the note of panic. "Take cover! There's another twister comin'!"_

_Zoe gasped and Brick jumped to his feet, Zoe hot on his heels._

_"That damn radio! The batteries must have died," he said. He looked up and down the street. "Let's get to the practice," he directed, already moving quickly in that direction. "It's closer than the Rammer Jammer. We'll go down in the basement." The pair barely made it inside before the next tornado dropped out of the sky, blowing away the chairs they'd just been settled in._

_It felt like an eternity before Brick deemed it safe to leave the practice's basement. Together, he and Zoe crept up the stairs. They both let out a sigh of relief when they saw the practice was still standing. Several windows had been blown out, the door ripped from its hinges and the waiting room furniture had been tossed all around but it was all fixable. They made their way through the door._

_"Oh my God!" Zoe gasped._

_The town square had been ripped apart. The gazebo was now a pile of matchsticks, their triage area completely gone. A set of stairs from who knew where laid in the middle of the sidewalk in front of the practice. A car was on its roof. Zoe could hardly believe the amount of damage that had taken place in mere minutes._

_"Let's get to the Rammer Jammer," Brick said. "We'll see what Lavon wants us to do from there." Zoe swallowed the lump in her throat as she followed Brick down the stairs of the practice. The bottom one crumbled under his weight and he caught himself on the railing, a series of curse words slipping from his mouth. The relief Zoe felt when she seen the Rammer Jammer still upright in the distance was immeasurable._

_When she and Brick entered, the place was crowded with emergency personnel and volunteers. Zoe stood on her tiptoes, looking for Wade. She couldn't find him. Before she could ask someone where he was, Lavon started addressing the crowd. Almost immediately, he focused in on Zoe and Brick._

_"We need triage," he told the town doctors. "This round was stronger than the first and at night. There's probably more damage, more injuries. I'm guessing the triage area from earlier is gone?"_

_"Completely," Brick confirmed._

_"Then we'll set up a new one," Lavon said._

_"We can use the practice," Zoe piped up, still looking around for Wade. "It's got some damage, but all of our supplies from earlier are gone. We can make do there."_

_"Good idea," Brick agreed. "We'll head over there now." Zoe followed Brick out the door, stopping for one last look around for Wade._

_"Coming Dr. Hart?" Brick asked._

_"Just looking for Wade," she said as the pair set off at a brisk pace towards the practice. "I didn't see him."_

_"I'm sure he's fine," Brick said. "There were an awful lot of people in there. You just missed him, is all."_

_The next two hours flew by. There were more injuries, most minor, but there were a fair amount of broken bones and wounds that required stitches. Zoe finished setting Cody Miller's wrist, stripped her latex gloves and wiped the sweaty damp hair from her forehead. She could hear Brick in his exam room across the hall, shushing a small child as he worked to stitch up a cut across the length of the bottom of her foot. She sent Cody on his way and turned to leave the exam room to collect her next patient when Corey Franklin burst into the practice._

_"Dr. Hart!" he cried. "Dr. Breeland! Tom! Wade! You gotta…. They're hurt… Bad…"_

_"How bad?" Zoe asked, feeling panic swelling inside of her. She started blindly grabbing for supplies to fill a bag._

_"Where are they?" Brick echoed, the girl's foot half-stitched._

_"Down at the old mill," Corey panted out. "They were helping old man Peters and his wife out of their safe place when the last twister hit. They got them to safety but the barn they were in started falling. They're both hurt. You've got to come." Brick looked at Zoe who was closing up a bulging medical bag with trembling hands._

_"You go," he told her. "I can't leave right now. Call if you need back up."_

_"Show me where they are," Zoe said to Corey. They left the practice at a run. Corey had parked his four wheeler a few hundred yards from the practice, as close as he could get with the debris, and without question, Zoe climbed on the back and held on for dear life as he drove through Bluebell, dodging debris as best he could. Her heart was in her throat along with her stomach as unbidden images of the worst case scenarios filled her mind. She shook her head slightly, trying to bring her mind back to the here and now. She needed all of senses about her to treat Wade and Tom. She had to be Dr. Hart right now, not Zoe, the girlfriend._

_She gasped as the old mill site came into view. The mill and the Peters' home were still standing but their big red barn was nothing more than a heap of boards, shingles and nails. Zoe felt ill. Mr. and Mrs. Peters were sitting on their porch stairs. They looked traumatized but a quick check with the older couple revealed they didn't need immediate medical attention._

_Zoe followed Corey quickly to the barn site, their going made more difficult by the dark. Her eyes fell on Wade first who was propped up against a pile of boards. All Zoe could focus on was the blood pouring from a deep gash above his eye._

_"Wade!" she cried, dropping to hear knees at his side. His eyes opened and he turned his head towards her._

_"Zo?" he asked as though he didn't believe she was there._

_"I'm here," she told him, opening her bag and reaching for gauze to start cleaning his wound. She desperately wished for a flashlight. "Besides your head, what else hurts?"_

_"My shoulder," Wade answered. "And I think I broke some ribs. We barely got out before the whole thing fell down on top of us." He suddenly became more alert. "Tom!" he said. "Zoe, Tom. He needs help more than me. He's over there." Wade raised an arm and pointed in Tom's direction. Zoe followed his gaze and for the first time, seen Tom lying nearby, a few boards covering him. "I tried to move what I could but my shoulder… My head… I can't…" Wade was starting to sound distressed._

_"You stay put," Zoe ordered. "Corey! I need you!" Corey came to her side from where he'd been watching a few feet away. She handed him a wad of gauze. "I need you to hold this to Wade's head," she instructed. "Apply pressure. We have to stop the bleeding or at least slow it down as much as possible."_

_"Yes ma'am," Corey agreed. He took her place at Wade's side while she hurried over to Tom, sidestepping a large, jagged piece of metal and climbing over what she thought was the remnants of a piece of farm equipment._

_"Tom?" she called as she dropped down to his side. "Tom?"_

_"Dr…. Hart…" he managed. His breathing was labored._

_"Where are you hurt?" Zoe asked, taking out her stethoscope and beginning her exam._

_"Everywhere," Tom answered. It wasn't the most helpful answer but Zoe was aware that it was also the most likely. She realized quickly she'd have to move the few boards that were covering Tom. She stood and, using every ounce of strength she had, was able to move the three heavy, large boards aside. A splinter wedged itself into her palm, but she didn't have time to worry about that._

_Returning to Tom's side, she examined him with quick, skillful hands. As she pressed on his stomach and gauged Tom's response, she grew more concerned with internal injuries. There was very little she could do in their current situation._

_"Dr. Hart… Gonna be…. Sick…" No sooner had the last word left his mouth, Tom turned his head and vomited bright red blood. Zoe let out a curse, her growing suspicions of internal bleeding confirmed. She had to get him – and Wade, who was fading fast – to Mobile for treatment._

_"Corey!" she called. "We have to get both of them to Mobile as soon as possible. Get on your four wheeler and get back to the Rammer Jammer. Find someone – anyone – who can get them to Mobile somehow."_

_"Dr. Hart… The roads…" Corey understood the urgency but he knew too that damage was heavy all around Bluebell and getting from there to Mobile was next to impossible._

_"I don't care about the roads," Zoe snapped back. "Tom needs emergency surgery and Wade needs a cat scan as soon as possible. Now go!" Corey knew better than to argue. He took off at a run for his four wheeler, leaving Wade to try and hold the gauze to his forehead._

_"Tom? You're going to be okay," Zoe said. "We're going to get you to Mobile and you're going to be fine, okay?" There was no answer. "Tom?"_

_"Okay," Tom managed. Zoe knew exactly what to do to treat him – in a sterilized operating room with every tool she could need and a team of doctors and nurses to assist her. There was next to nothing she could do out here besides stabilize him and wait._

_"Stay still, don't move," she instructed. "If you feel like you're going to be sick again, let me know. I'm going to go check on Wade. I'll be right back, okay?"_

_"Okay," Tom said again. Zoe returned to Wade's side. He was pale, sweaty and covered in dirt. She could tell he was also in a lot of pain._

_"How are you doing?" she asked. She gently removed the gauze from his wound and examined it. The bleeding had slowed but he needed stitches. Those she could do in the field._

_"Swell," Wade replied. "How's Tom?"_

_"Hanging in there," Zoe told him. She lit up her penlight. "Follow my light with your eyes," she directed. Wade did as he was told, tracking her light as best he could. Zoe was satisfied but still not happy. "Did you lose consciousness?"_

_"Um…" Wade struggled to remember._

_He and Tom had ridden out the storm in the Peters' barn where their cellar was, having ended up out there as they worked their way through Bluebell helping where they could. When it was over, they'd helped the elderly couple out of the cellar. Wade had noticed the barn starting to give and had rushed them along. He'd managed to get the older couple out but Tom had gone back after a cat he'd seen hiding in a stall. He'd made to snatch Tom out of the barn and was just at the entrance when it came crashing down around him. He didn't remember much between then and Zoe's arrival, just hazy images of him trying to help Tom and shooting pains throughout his upper body._

_"I think I might have. I don't know. I can't remember." Zoe could tell he was anxious and needed him calm._

_"It's okay," she told him. "It's normal to not remember the accident when you have a head injury. I need you to stay calm, okay? Do you feel nauseous?"_

_"No. Well, maybe a little."_

_"You've got a concussion," Zoe told him. "I'm not sure how severe, but I'm certain you have one." She looked over at Tom. His chest was rising and falling and he had moved his head enough to where he could see her and Wade. She gave him a reassuring smile before turning back to Wade. "I'm going to clean this up and stitch it up – should stop the bleeding."_

_"Hope it don't hurt as bad as the last time you gave me stitches." Both of them recalled the heat wave and Wade's run in with the fence behind the Rammer Jammer._

_"Hate to break it to you, but it's going to hurt a lot worse," Zoe told him as she dug through her bag. "There are a lot more nerves running above your eye and I don't have anything to numb the area."_

_"Awesome," Wade grunted. He winced as Zoe dabbed peroxide into his wound._

_"Shhh," she soothed, continuing to dab. She went back to Tom and checked over him once more. He was barely holding on to consciousness. She encouraged him to sing a song in an effort to keep him conscious and after some coaxing, he obliged and started a rendition of some love song she'd heard on one of Wade's country radio stations._

_"This is romantic," Wade said when Zoe returned to his side. Zoe smiled a little despite the situation. She could tell Wade was making an effort to not let on how much pain he was in and she appreciated it. And by keeping Wade talking, she was keeping him conscious as well. She'd caught him nodding off already and she couldn't let him fall asleep with his head injury before he could be properly examined._

_"Stay still," she told him as she prepared to start stitching. "Keep singing, Tom," she added when Tom reached the end of his song. He started on a new one, this one about country girls shaking it for critters. She'd question his choice of songs later. "Stay still," she repeated as she moved to start stitching Wade up. "This is going to hurt. I'm sorry." She put the penlight between her lips, the thin beam her only source of light. It wasn't going to be her neatest job, but it needed to happen._

_"Ahhh!" Wade cried out as the needle pierced his skin. Zoe bit her lip, hating that she was hurting him even if it was for his own good. He made an effort not to let on how much it hurt, especially as each movement he made sent a wave of pain through him, his ribs protesting and his shoulder out of commission. So he sat there, biting down on his lip and trying to breathe through the pain. It felt like an eternity before Zoe whispered that she was done. Moments later, the battery in her penlight died._

_"Tom? How are you holding up?" Zoe asked over her shoulder._

_"Swell," Tom replied. He was growing weaker by the minute. Zoe encouraged him to keep singing and prayed Corey would return soon. She checked over Tom once more before returning to Wade. He was dozing._

_"Wade?" she called, reaching out to gently squeeze his uninjured shoulder. He jolted awake and quickly cried out in pain as his ribs protested the sudden movement. "Sorry," Zoe apologized. "You've got to stay awake, okay? You can't fall asleep until you've had your head checked."_

_"Want me to start singin' with Tom?" he asked, daring her with his eyes to agree. Tom, growing ever weaker, was now leaving out words as he tried to mumble through his latest selection._

_"Just talk to me," Zoe said, sitting down by him. "Tell me… Anything. Whatever comes to mind."_

_"Anything?" Wade asked._

_"Anything."_

_"Stay," he said simply. Zoe frowned in confusion._

_"Stay?" she asked._

_"Stay here. In Bluebell. I know your year is almost up and that you're probably chompin' at the bit to get back to New York but I'm askin' you to stay here. With me." Zoe looked at him and saw the pleading in his eyes._

_"Do you know what I did today?"_

_"Jabbed a needle through my head several times. I can still feel the sting."_

_"Besides that."_

_"Survived your first tornado outbreak?"_

_"Exactly," Zoe confirmed. "I survived my first tornado outbreak. I watched the town I live in – the town I love – be ripped apart. I've treated half the population for everything from minor scrapes to broken bones. Now I'm treating internal injuries and a concussion in a field in the dead of night in what used to be a barn. And you know what I realized in the middle of all this?"_

_"That you can't wait to get back to New York where the sky rarely falls and no one has to be treated in a field because there ain't any?" Wade guessed._

_"No, you idiot," Zoe said, forgetting their circumstances and punching him in his good shoulder. Wade let out a howl. "Sorry," she apologized. "What I realized, is that I love this town. This is where I belong. I'm not going anywhere." Wade looked at her as though he could hardly believe what she'd said._

_"You're not going back to New York?" he asked. Zoe shook her head._

_"I can't leave this place," she told him. She leaned forward and kissed him carefully on the lips. "Besides, I went and fell in love with this power-stealing brute of a guy who happens to also be handy with a hammer. And as much as I don't want to leave this town, I really don't want to leave him."_

_"I heard about that guy," Wade said with a grin, even as he fought to keep his eyes open. "I heard he fell in love with a bossy, neurotic Yankee doctor who has more girly crap to plug in to get ready for the day than the whole Bluebell Salon."_

_"Hey!" Zoe protested._

_"Oh come on, Doc, you know it's true." Zoe shrugged._

_"Sort of," she admitted, making Wade chuckle._

_"So sweet," chimed in Tom. Zoe went to check in on him. He'd broken into a sweat and for the first time, had a low fever, signaling infection. She felt panic settling into her chest again. In the distance though, the sound of a vehicle could be heard. She prayed hard that it was someone coming to take Tom and Wade to Mobile. Several moments later, George Tucker's truck came into view and his headlights lit up the site._

_"Zoe! What's going on?" George called as he parked his truck as close to the debris of the barn as he could get. Corey was with him. "Corey said Wade and Tom were hurt and needed to get to Mobile as quickly as possible." Zoe met George halfway._

_"Wade has a concussion, some broke ribs and a dislocated shoulder. He needs a cat scan to rule out anything worse. But Tom's not doing well. He's got internal injuries, broken bones. He going to need emergency surgery." George paled._

_"And I'm supposed to get them to Mobile? Zoe, the roads…"_

_"I don't give a damn about the roads," she snapped, whirling around to face George. She was sick and tired of hearing about the roads. She got it. But it didn't matter. She kept her voice low so Tom in particular couldn't hear her._

_"They need medical attention, right now. I don't care how you get them there. I don't care who gets them there. But they need doctors – doctors who can treat them a hell of a lot better than I can at the moment. Tom will die if we don't get him the help he needs. I know there's damage all around us. I know it's not going to be easy to get them there. But it's going to be a hell of a lot quicker for you or me or anyone else to drive them there than to wait for an ambulance. In a perfect world, Tom would be life flighted but I doubt copters are flying right now."_

_George took a deep breath as though filling himself up with courage. "I'll do my best," he said. "I can't make any promises, but I'll do what I can to get them there."_

_"Thank you," Zoe said. "Tom can't walk so we're to have to carry him. He should probably lie down. Corey, do you think you can ride on the back with him, keep him calm? And talking? It's important that he not lose consciousness."_

_"I can," Corey said with a nod. It was then that Zoe remembered he was only 17. She reached out and squeezed his arm in a show of solitude. He squared his shoulders, ready to do what he could. Together, Corey and George managed to make a makeshift stretcher from an especially large board and with Zoe's help, moved him to it. Then Zoe went to Wade._

_"I feel helpless," he told her._

_"You've been helping since well before the storms hit. Time to let someone else take over," she said. Carefully, she helped him to his feet. He was unsteady and the movement caused him to cry out in pain. "Are you dizzy?" Zoe asked._

_"Among other things," Wade answered. His arm around Zoe's shoulders and leaning heavily on her small frame, he paused to collect himself as best he could. George came to help and together, they got Wade in the cab of George's truck._

_It was then that Zoe realized she'd have to send them without her. Her assistance was needed in Bluebell and there wasn't really room for her in addition to the supplies and tools George was already carrying around. She had a feeling he'd need the chainsaw sitting on the bench seat between him and Wade sooner rather than later._

_"I'll come as soon as I can," Zoe told Wade. "Don't fall asleep, okay? Whatever you do, don't go to sleep. Not until the doctor has examined you."_

_"Okay," Wade said. Zoe kissed him, a sudden fear washing over her that she wouldn't see him again. "I love you, Zoe."_

_"I love you too," she replied. It had been less than 24 hours since they first said those words and already they seemed so natural. She shut the door and administered last minute instructions to Corey, checked on Tom one last time and then went to George._

_"I'll do everything I can to get them there safely," he told her._

_"Thank you," she said. "Keep Wade talking. He's getting groggy and he can't fall asleep until he's been examined. My phone isn't working – signal is out anyway but it died ages ago. I'll check on both of them as soon as I can."_

_"How are you getting back into Bluebell?" George asked. "I can drive you if you need me to but…" Zoe shook her head. Bluebell was the opposite direction from Mobile and George couldn't waste time._

_"I saw the Peters' car. It looked like it was spared. I'm sure they'll let me take it into town."_

_George nodded. "The road is somewhat passable now. I had to saw a few trees on my way out here but I think you can make it most of the way."_

_"Take care of them," Zoe said. George nodded._

_"I will," he promised._

* * *

><p>Zoe woke up slowly, sunlight pouring in between the crack in the curtains. She stretched, feeling cozy in her scrubs, the shower she'd had before climbing into the cot they'd set up for her doing wonders. She looked over at Wade who was sitting up in bed, watching her.<p>

"Mornin' beautiful," he said. "Or should I say afternoon?"

"What time is it?" Zoe asked, standing and walking over to his bed.

"After 2," he answered. "Lavon came and went. You needed your sleep though so we didn't wake you."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a million bucks. This pain medication is good stuff." Zoe rolled her eyes. Wade reached for her with his good arm. "Come here, girl."

"I don't want to hurt you," Zoe said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your ribs…"

"Pain meds," Wade said again. "I ain't feelin' much. Except the lack of my girl." She gave in and carefully climbed into bed beside him. He put an arm around her and for a while, they just sat there in silence, grateful to be together, that the sun was shining outside. Wade started tracing a bruise on her forearm.

"You okay, Doc?" he asked.

"I'm not the one who has a bandage wrapped around my head."

"You know what I mean." Zoe sighed heavily, trying to fight down the emotions she'd been keeping hidden. Wade jostled her gently. "Talk to me," he urged. Finally, Zoe broke down and let the tears fall.

"I was so scared," she admitted. "I've never experienced anything remotely close to that. There's so much damage and so many people were hurt…" She stopped and looked up at Wade. "Treating you and Tom in the middle of a field – Tom was on the brink of death, Wade, and there was nothing I could do to help him. And then you! You were starting to fade and again, there was nothing I could do to help you. What would I have done if something had happened to you?" She let out a sob.

"Hey, hey," Wade said, holding her tightly to him with one arm. "I'm fine. Tom's gonna be fine. Bluebell will be fine too. It's not our first rodeo. This ain't nothin' compared to when Katrina came through."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, wiping at her eyes. "I guess it's all catching up with me." Wade pushed her hair away from her face and let his hand drift over her long hair.

"It's a lot to deal with," he agreed. "Say, when was the last time you ate?" Zoe had to think about it.

"I guess the burgers you made before the second round of storms hit."

"So about a day and a half ago," Wade calculated. "Dr. Hart, I order you to go downstairs to the cafeteria – or hey, even get crazy and venture outside the hospital walls – and find something to eat. Real food too – no salads or, or, or… sushi. Steak and potatoes. Something that'll stick to your bones."

"You're ordering me?" Zoe asked. Wade held out his good arm and shrugged.

"I've got broken bones, a head injury… I'm in a fragile state, Doc. You really can't refuse me." Zoe had to smile.

"I guess I could use some nourishing," she agreed, realizing she actually was hungry now that Wade had pointed it out. "Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"Just you," Wade answered. "And maybe a chocolate milkshake if you come across one."

"I'll see what I can do," she told him. She climbed out of bed and gave him a kiss. Wade pulled her back in to give her a second, longer kiss.

"Hurry back," he said.

"How could I not after that?" Zoe asked. She gave him one last smile before leaving the room.

Wade leaned back and closed his eyes. The pain meds made sure he didn't feel much but they also made him tired. He let his mind wander, wondering about different parts of Bluebell, how his friends had fared, how his dad was doing, was his father's place still standing? His last thought before he fell asleep was that he was going to marry Zoe Hart one day.

* * *

><p><strong>WHEW! Thank you so much for reading! Next update coming soon.<strong>


	28. All I Need

**Finally, an update! I apologize for the delay - real life is crazy on nearly all fronts. I decided it was high time for a light, fluffy chapter, given the last several chapters and what's going down on the show. Hopefully no one will have any complaints about fluff!**

**Thank you to all of you who read and review! I appreciate each of you so much! **

**If you're in need of a sweet love song, try the one that inspired this update - Bart Crow Band's "All I Need." I melt every time! **

**THINGS I OWN: A ridiculously adorable, teething, puppy. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p><em>The sky was growing rapidly darker, the clouds extending lower and lower, so low and heavy she felt sure she could reach up and touch them as she stood by the pond, looking out over nothing in particular. In her peripheral vision, she saw Burt Reynolds slinking away, going to hide from the incoming storm under Wade's porch.<em>

_Wade._

_She gasped and ran towards his house._

_"Wade!" she called. "Wade!"_

_She felt the tornado rather than heard it. Without looking over her shoulder, she knew it was behind her, ripping towards their safe little nook of the plantation, sweeping up everything in its path. She ran faster, her legs starting to burn. Wade's house was growing further and further away, even as she ran towards it. She pumped her legs still harder, trying to outrun the twister and make it to Wade to warn him._

_"Wade!" she yelled again, forcing air through her lungs to form his name. She ran still faster, harder. Her chest too was starting to burn._

_He appeared on his porch then, shirtless, a pair of jeans hanging low on his hips as he towel-dried his damp hair. "Hey, Doc," he called out, greeting her. "Whatcha runnin' from?"_

_"Tornado!" Zoe managed as she ran, confused as to why she wasn't getting any closer even though he was just a couple hundred yards away from her carriage house. "Tornado! Take cover!"_

_"Tornado?" Wade asked in confusion. "There ain't no tornado."_

_"Tornado!" Zoe yelled again, confused as to why he didn't see it. She looked over her shoulder. The big black tunnel was catching up with her and she was still no closer to Wade. He laughed and shook her head._

_"Ain't no tornado," he said. "You've lost your mind, city girl."_

_"Tornado!" Zoe tried again. Her entire body ached and yet she kept running, determined to make it to Wade who was still as distant as ever._

_Without warning, the sky over Wade's house started to swirl. Zoe tried to yell, tried to warn him, but she couldn't force the air through her lungs. Her legs gave out and she hit the ground hard, her face smacking the dirt. She could taste the salty Alabama soil on her lips as she looked up, tried once more to warn Wade._

_But she was too late._

_A tornado dropped from the sky and she watched helplessly as Wade looked up just in time to see the clouds falling on top of him. He called her name as the tornado ripped him from the porch and returned to the sky, taking Wade with it._

Zoe jolted awake with a gasp, vaguely registering the loud grunt and cry of pain that filled her bedroom as she bolted upright in bed. Her heart was racing and even though the night air filtering in through the open, glassless windows was cool, a fine sheen of sweat covered her brow.

"What the hell, Doc?" Wade asked as he struggled to sit up and massaged his chest with his free arm. "Some of us got broken ribs and dislocated shoulders, you know. Kick a man while he's down…" Zoe gasped again.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, realizing she'd hit Wade as she'd struggled in her nightmare. She reached for the bedside lamp out of habit but no light filled the room when she turned on the switch. Remembering that they were still without power, she turned to Wade. "What did I do? Did I hurt you?"

"Let's just say there are hundred dollar butcher knives in Lavon's kitchen that wish they were as sharp as your left elbow," Wade replied.

"I'm so sorry," Zoe said, squinting to see Wade in the darkness. "Do you need anything? Can I do anything?"

"I wouldn't say no to a couple of pain killers," he admitted. "Everything ached when I went to bed. Now I'm downright throbbing – head, shoulder, ribs, you name it, it hurts."

Zoe scrambled out of bed, glad for something to do to calm her nerves. She found the flashlight she'd had before bed, crossed the room and dug Wade's pills from where she kept them stashed in her bag, ready to dole them out when he inevitably gave up on his tough guy act and admitted that he was in pain. She grabbed a water bottle from their stash and returned to bed, passing him first the pills which he popped in his mouth while she unscrewed the water. She switched off the flashlight and sat back against the headboard, willing her heartbeat to return to normal as she picked up her phone, charged courtesy of the Rammer Jammer generator-operated charging station. It was just after two in the morning.

"That's the third time this week," Wade said, maneuvering so he too was resting against the headboard. "What's goin' on, Zoe?"

"I'm a restless sleeper," Zoe said with a shrug. "I toss and turn. I throw 'bows. Sorry, can't help it." Wade shook his head.

"I've been sleepin' with you nearly every night for four months," he reminded her. "You sleep like the dead. A bomb wouldn't wake you up." Zoe sighed.

"It was a bad dream," she admitted. "I've had a few this week."

"About the tornado?" Wade guessed. Zoe nodded.

"I was standing by the pond watching the sky getting darker and darker. The clouds were sinking lower and lower to the ground. Then a tornado fell out of the sky and started towards our houses. I tried to run to you, to warn you, but I couldn't. The harder I ran, the further away you got. You came out on your porch and kept telling me there wasn't a tornado. Then the sky opened up right over your house and another one came and sucked you up into the sky. It happened so fast there was nothing I could do." Zoe shook involuntarily, remembering the more vivid details of her dream.

"Hey," Wade said in a calming voice, "Come here." He held out his arm that wasn't in a sling and Zoe slipped into her spot beside him. "You're fine," he reminded her. He kissed her hair. "I'm fine. There's no tornadoes. It was just a dream."

"I know. But it felt so real."

The tornadoes had done a number on Zoe.

To the rest of Bluebell, it looked like she was digging in and helping restore the town with all the strength she had in her petite frame. By day, she was seeing patients in between working to clean up the practice. When she left work, she put in time helping wherever she was needed around Bluebell, sometimes sweeping up glass or helping Sheila Whittaker round up her cats, even toting downed tree limbs and debris if needed. She was also juggling caring for Earl who was growing noticeably weaker with each passing day with caring for Wade who was a less than ideal patient, complaining because he couldn't do much of the physical work around Bluebell, pushing his limits, refusing to take pain killers and being an overall pain in her ass most of the time.

But at night, when she was finally back on the plantation, she relived those terrifying hours over and over, thinking of what could have been, of how closed they'd all been to losing their lives and their homes, of how if George had come even minutes later Tom Long likely would have died, of how much worse Wade's injuries could have been if he'd been just a few feet closer to the barn when it had fallen. She'd come too close to losing too any people she cared about and was finding it hard not to focus on that when she finally fell asleep at night.

"Talk to me," Wade said softly, pulling her out of her own thoughts.

"I nearly lost you," Zoe told him, resting her head on his shoulder and looking up at him. "I nearly lost everyone I care about. We were so close. We're all lucky to be alive. Every time I close my eyes, all I can see are tornadoes falling out of the sky and taking away the people I love. Tonight, it was you. Last night, Rose. Three nights ago, Lavon and Brick got swept right out the practice while I watched."

"You love Brick?" Wade asked. "Rose and Lavon I get but Brick?"

"We've decided to co-exist peacefully. Apparently tornadoes are a good time for heart to hearts. Brick admitted he actually does like having me around and you told me you love me."

"I'd been trying to spit those three words out for a while," Wade confessed. He drew lazy circles on her arm he spoke. "I'd hoped to be a little more romantic than standing in Lavon's living room waiting for the sky to fall, but it felt right."

"It was right," Zoe confirmed. "I'd wanted to say it for a while too but, call me old fashion, I wanted you to say it first." Wade chuckled and tightened his arm around her. He silently cursed his injuries as it had been nearly two weeks since he'd been able to hold her properly or make love to her.

"I've called you a lot of things, but 'old fashion' will never be one of them. Old fashion girls don't wear those shorty shorts of yours and they certainly don't do some of the things you do in bed." Zoe scoffed and caught herself just before she elbowed him like she would have had he not been injured.

"You're a pig," she declared.

"Yeah, well, you love me," he reminded her. "And for what it's worth, it's going to take a hell of a lot more than a tornado to take me from you." Zoe smiled up at him in the darkness.

"You think you're a match for a tornado?" she asked.

"If it's trying to take me from you? Absolutely."

They fell into a peaceful silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Wade silently marveled at his good fortune that Zoe Hart loved him while Zoe considered how far they'd come, how much both of them had changed, for the better.

"Wade?"

"Yeah?"

Zoe shifted so she was looking up at him. "Are you happy?" Wade frowned.

"Am I happy?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you happy? With me? Us? It wasn't all that long ago, really, that you were chasing women and staying out until the sun came up."

"That feels like forever ago," Wade admitted. "I didn't have a life back then."

"Didn't have a life? By all accounts, it looked like you were living the life."

"I was sleepin' around, drinking too much and somehow not runnin' the Rammer Jammer clear into the ground," Wade said. "That wasn't a life, Zoe. This? Comin' home to you and wakin' up with you – even gettin' jabbed in the broken ribs? This is a life. I like this life. A lot." Zoe smiled at his words.

"I like this life too," she agreed.

"Do you?" Wade asked, flipping things around. "Bluebell wasn't your plan a year ago. You were all about big cities, fancy surgeries and sushi delivered to your door. Now you're the prettier, better half of the town's former bad boy, treating stomach viruses and snake bites."

"I'm the far prettier, far better half of the town's former Casanova," Zoe corrected, making Wade chuckle. "But I'm also a doctor who's making a difference which is all I ever really wanted out of my career anyway. And Lavon Hayes is one of my best friends. I had his poster on the back of my closet door during undergrad. I love this life." Zoe paused and looked at Wade. "I love you." Wade gave her an easy smile.

"I love you too, Doc," he said. He puckered her lips to show her he wanted a kiss, finding it easier to get her to come to him than go to her. She obliged and the pair settled back into the bed, trying to get comfortable.

The power was still out throughout most of Bluebell, the practice, Rammer Jammer and a few other vital places operating on generators for shortened business hours. Cleanup was slow but progress had been made and slowly but surely, windows were being replaced, shingles being repaired. Zoe's carriage house and Wade's gate house had been largely spared saved for the windows and an afternoon is all it had taken Zoe to get the place livable again. Half of the plantation's windows had been repaired, the roof half repaired. There was still plenty of debris scattered about but life in Bluebell was slowly returning to normal. It was that thought that spurred Zoe to realize something.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, looking over at Wade who was nearly asleep, his pain meds kicking in. "Have you seen Didi lately?" Even though Wade was struggling to keep his eyes open, Zoe's comment caused him to perk back up.

"I ain't," he said, realizing he couldn't say for sure when the last time he'd seen Lavon with his supposed girlfriend was. It had been at least a few weeks, if not longer. "Shoot, I can't even remember the last time I saw her. 'Course, I've got a head injury, but…"

"It's been at least a month," Zoe agreed. "At least! Valentine's Day, maybe?

"That was what? Two months ago?"

"Nearly," Zoe confirmed. "But Lavon, he's seemed okay, right? I mean, stressed and exhausted with the tornadoes and all but okay?"

"I'd say I'd talk to him at breakfast, but somethin' tells me you're gonna beat me to it."

"What if they broke up?" Zoe asked. "And here we are, his closest two friends, happy and lovey dovey and he's hurting. We're terrible people."

"He's a terrible person for not telling us nothin,'" Wade countered, growing tired once more. "Go to sleep, Doc. You can deal with Lavon in the mornin.'"

"Believe I will," Zoe confirmed. She finally drifted off to sleep, any dreams of tornadoes pushed away by concerns of Lavon's love life.

* * *

><p>"You're starring at me."<p>

"No, I'm not."

"You are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

Are too."

"Are y'all five?" Wade asked, interrupting Zoe and Lavon's back and forth.

"She's staring at me," Lavon said.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Oh, come on!" Wade exclaimed. It was rare that he was the most mature person in the room but as the three of them sat around the kitchen island eating cold pop tarts and granola bars, he felt like he had somehow been appointed chaperone for his girlfriend and best friend. "Lavon, Zoe has somethin' to ask you."

"Unless Lavon has something he wants to tell me," Zoe added. "In that case, I'm here to listen. And I'm a good listener so you can tell me anything."

"Lavon Hayes has nothing to tell no one."

"Where's Didi?" Zoe asked bluntly. "Did you break up?" Whatever Lavon had been expecting Zoe to ask, it clearly hadn't been that. He almost looked – relieved.

"Didi and I broke up like, two months ago," he said. "It was mutual. She's a sweet lady and we had fun together but it wasn't meant to be. We fizzled. She moved up to Birmingham to be closer to her folks and me, well… I'm doin' just fine."

"Hey, sorry things didn't work out," Wade said, clapping Lavon on the shoulder as he passed him to get another bottle of warm water. "No offense, but I always thought she was a little crazy in a 'out to lunch' sort of way."

"Well, you are well-versed in crazy," Lavon said, looking at Zoe pointedly.

"Hey!" Zoe protested. Wade was smart enough not to say anything.

"Don't you have something better to do than question the mayor about his love life?" Lavon asked.

"I do have a patient in," Zoe checked her watch, "Twenty minutes. But by no means is this over. You're in trouble for not telling me."

"Come on, Doc," Wade said, starting towards the door. "I'll drop you off at the practice."

"No you won't," Zoe said replied, following him. "You haven't been cleared to drive."

"I ain't worried about what some quack told me."

"Quack? You're calling your doctor a quack? I'm a doctor! I'm also your girlfriend and I am not a quack."

"Just crazy," Wade said, winking at Lavon as he shut the door behind them. Lavon chuckled as Zoe shrieked in indignation and started listing off all the reasons she was not crazy. He turned and looked over his shoulder.

"They're gone," he called.

"They always argue like that?" Annabeth asked, stepping around the corner wearing one of Lavon's t-shirts.

"Always," Lavon confirmed. "And they love each other that much more because of it. Now, come here." Annabeth giggled as Lavon pulled her into a kiss. Things were heating up when they heard Zoe's heels tapping on the porch as she called out to Wade that she'd be right back.

"Hey, Lavon, forgot my…" Zoe stopped as she caught a glimpse of someone darting down the hallway. "Who was that?" She asked. Lavon raised his eyebrows.

"Who was who?" he asked. Zoe frowned and pointed in the direction of the hallway.

"I just saw someone take off down the hallway." Her eyes got big as understanding dawned on her. "You're sleeping with someone!"

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Don't you have a patient to see in a matter of minutes?" Lavon asked, just as Wade laid down on the horn of Lavon's hybrid from his spot in the passenger seat.

"This isn't over," Zoe informed him.

"It's as over as Tom and Katie."

"What?" Zoe asked, missing the pop culture reference.

"Just go be a doctor, will you?" Zoe glared at him as Wade laid down on the horn again.

"Men," she grumbled as she walked out the door. Annabeth waited until the car pulled out of the driveway before she reemerged.

* * *

><p>Zoe was happy with the progress of the practice. All the windows had been replaced and the stairs repaired. The roof was crawling with men nailing down shingles and the interior damage, mostly from the rain and wind that had come through, was nearly completely repaired. The practice was, essentially, back to full working order, pending the ordering of new waiting room furniture as much of it had been damaged. Zoe was looking at it as an opportunity to update the practice and was already bracing herself for the inevitable disagreements she and Brick would have when it came to redecorating.<p>

She thought vaguely of Harley's apartment upstairs. She'd peeked at it to make sure there was only minimal damage, but she still had plenty to go through. She'd get to it one day, when Bluebell was back to their definition of normal and Earl… She let her thoughts trail off. The next few weeks were going to be hard and she didn't want to think of them right then.

She was updating paperwork when Addie knocked on Zoe's door frame.

"Dr. Hart, you have a patient. I put them in your exam room already." Zoe smiled, remembering the days when she didn't have a patient at all. Today, she'd seen five and it wasn't even noon.

"Thank you," she said. She paused outside the exam room and took the chart out of the holder on the door. It was Annabeth's. She smiled again. She liked Annabeth and was finding herself pleasantly surprised that they were forging a sort of friendship. "Hi, Annabeth, what can I do for you?" she asked as she walked in.

"Hi, Zoe," Annabeth said nervously. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap. "I mean, Dr. Hart."

"You can call me Zoe. That's fine." In New York, she would have never allowed a patient to call her Zoe. Here, it was only right.

"Zoe," Annabeth said again. "You can't tell anyone what I say in here, right? Doctor-patient confidentiality or whatever?"

"Completely confidential," Zoe confirmed. She hated how curious she was as to what Annabeth was about to confide in her. It made her no better than the old women who gossiped outside the bakery.

"Okay. Well, you know how me and my husband got divorced?" Zoe nodded. "Well, I stopped taking my birth control. No need, you know? Can't get pregnant if you're not – having sex. But, well, I guess, there's a need now. So that's what I came here. To get birth control."

"That's easy enough," Zoe said, not understanding Annabeth's nervousness yet realizing that in Bluebell, everyone was prim and proper and things like sex were not openly discussed. "You'll just need to answer a few questions and then I'll do a standard exam and we'll get you a prescription."

"I don't have to say who I'm sleeping with, do I?" Annabeth asked anxiously.

"Not if you don't want me to know."

"It's not necessarily that I don't want you to know because, truthfully, I kind of want everyone to know. He's great. He's smart and handsome and funny and just the sweetest man. If he weren't an Alabama graduate he'd be absolutely perfect. But we have to keep our relationship quiet, at least for now. We don't want his – ex – finding out. She's a little nuts."

"Lavon!" Zoe spit out before she could stop herself. If there was one thing she'd learned while living in Alabama, it was that Auburn grads and Alabama grads didn't get along. And Annabeth was an Auburn grad while Lavon's blood most certainly ran crimson. She could tell by the horrified look on Annabeth's face that she was right.

"You can't tell anyone!" she exclaimed. "Not even Wade."

"Doctor-patient confidentiality," Zoe confirmed. Her mind was already working through how she'd get Lavon to fess up. Then she remembered something else Annabeth had said. "You know, Didi is a little out there, sure, but I doubt she'd go psycho if she found out you and Lavon are dating. And Lavon did say their split was mutual."

"Oh, it's not Didi we're worried about," Annabeth said dismissively. She then seemed to remember she'd said too much. "Can we get this over with? I have some errands to run."

"Sure thing," Zoe said. She picked up her clipboard and started asking Annabeth a number of questions that made them both uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>"What's on the menu today?" Lavon asked as he sat down at the bar of the Rammer Jammer.<p>

"Burgers or hotdogs," Wade answered. "Chips on the side. Same stuff that's been on the menu since the tornadoes."

"Burger it is," Lavon answered. "I know we shouldn't complain since Bluebell really got lucky, all things considered, but this two weeks with no power business is getting old." Wade called out Lavon's order to a waitress who went out back where the cook was manning a charcoal grill.

"You tellin' me," he said. "I'm barely keepin' this place runnin' on generators and coolers full of ice to keep the meat cool. And don't forget, my girlfriend is Zoe Hart. She's 'bout three more days of not bein' able to blowout her hair from snappin.'"

"What is a blowout anyway?" Lavon asked. Wade shrugged.

"Damned if I know. Whatever it is, it takes her long enough." Lavon laughed as Wade walked away to take another order. When he returned, he had Lavon's burger and chip. "So, Zoe seems to think you had a woman in the house with you this morning." Lavon looked at him.

"So what if I did?" he asked.

"Then good for you," Wade said with a nod of approval. "Ain't nothin' wrong with a little lovin.' But just so you know, Zoe ain't gonna drop it 'til you 'fess up."

"You ain't going to pester me about it?" Wade shook his head.

"You didn't ask me about my pre-Zoe escapades, I ain't gonna ask you about your post-Didi ones."

"You're a good friend," Lavon said.

"Likewise." Wade looked up just in time to see Zoe enter the Rammer Jammer. He grinned, partly because he was happy to see her, mostly because she'd already zeroed in on Lavon. "Don't look now, but the inquisition squad just walked in." Lavon looked over his shoulder and groaned audibly when he seen Zoe, causing Wade to chuckle. "Hey, baby," he greeted.

"Hi," Zoe said, accepting Wade's kiss. He grimaced, the stretch to reach her over the bar straining his ribs and shoulder. "Careful," Zoe chided before turning to Lavon.

"Hello, Lavon."

"Hi, Zoe."

"Burger?" Wade asked.

"Sure," Zoe agreed. She swore she wouldn't eat another hamburger or hotdog for at least six months whenever their power returned. She turned to Lavon. "So when are you going to tell me who was at the house this morning?"

"No one was at my house this morning. Besides you two, of course, because you are always at my house."

"There was someone there," Zoe insisted. She knew it was Annabeth and dammit, Lavon was going to tell her it was. "She had dark hair and from what I saw, she was wearing one of your t-shirts."

"Wade, get your girlfriend some glasses. She's seeing things," Lavon told Wade. Wade just grinned.

"Come on, Lavon. I know you had a girl over. You know I know you had a girl over. Just tell me who she is and if it's serious or not."

"Whether or not I'm seeing someone is my business. You don't need to know about my love life."

"But I tell you about mine!" Zoe countered. Wade frowned.

"What do you tell Lavon about us?" he asked.

"Not much," Zoe answered.

"As much as I'll let her," Lavon said at the same time drawing a dirty look from Zoe.

"Tell you what. Let's play a game. I'll guess and if I guess right, you have to tell me. Wade, you can help me."

"Oh, no. I'm out of this," Wade said.

"This is ridiculous, Zoe," Lavon added.

"Let's see. She had dark hair," Zoe said, pretending as though she was thinking on who it could be. She couldn't guess Annabeth right off the top. "So that rules out Shelia Whitaker," Lavon made a face, "and any of those blonds that like to hit on Wade. Oh! Sally Jefferson! She and her boyfriend broke up months ago. Is it her?"

"What? No," Lavon said, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous," he said again.

"Fine. What about what's-her-name that lives just over the border in Fillmore? Daisy or something like that?"

"Daphne and no! Like I'd date someone from Fillmore…" Wade put hot off the grill burgers in front of Lavon and Zoe, amused at their exchange. He enjoyed listening to Zoe give someone else hell. It was a nice change of pace. He watched as her eyes lit up.

"You know, there is one person in town, recently divorced, that just so happens to have dark hair." Zoe watched in satisfaction as Lavon's eyes grew bigger.

"Who, Annabeth?" Wade asked, spitting out the only name that came to mind without really thinking about it.

"Annabeth!" Zoe repeated, whirling around to face Lavon full on. "It was her, wasn't it?"

"Keep your voice down!" Lavon hissed. He looked at Wade who was grinning like the cat that looked like the canary.

"Oh my God!" Zoe hissed. "How long has this been going on? You could certainly do worse. Why don't you want anyone to know?" She pretended like she hadn't spoken to Annabeth earlier, trying to get more information out of Lavon.

"Lemon will go full on Daisy May crazy when she finds out," Wade stated. Zoe frowned.

"What's Lemon got to do with anything?" she asked.

"Absolutely nothing," Lavon answered quickly.

"Lemon and Lavon had a thing a few years back," Wade told Zoe.

"Wade! You're supposed to be my friend! I told you that in confidence!"

"Wait, what?" Zoe asked, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Technically, you didn't tell me," Wade reminded Lavon. "I walked in on something I'd rather forget and y'all swore me to secrecy."

"Secrecy, exactly. Which is why you don't go and tell the whole town!"

"I didn't tell the whole town. I just told Zoe. She'd have worn me down eventually. Or you. In case you ain't noticed, she's pretty scrappy."

"Someone explain this to me," Zoe announced. Lavon sighed, relenting.

"When George left for New York, him and Lemon broke up. Lemon was going through some stuff with her mom and we grew closer. We had a thing for a while, but George came back and, well, you've got their wedding invitation. It was a long time ago and it didn't last long but it was pretty deep."

"And since Annabeth is Lemon's best friend, I assume she knows? Which is why all of this is being kept super top secret – because Lemon will flip out? Even though she's getting married?" Zoe said.

"Exactly," Lavon confirmed.

"Well, your secret is safe with us," Wade said. He looked pointedly at Zoe.

"I won't say anything," Zoe agreed. "However, I want details."

"No details," Lavon stated. He picked up the paper plate his burger was on. "I'm taking this to go," he said. He fished some money out of his pocket and sat it on the counter. "I'm not leaving a tip. The owner's girlfriend made my dining experience less than enjoyable." Wade chuckled while Zoe scoffed. Lavon nodded a goodbye to them and made his way out the door.

"You know, Doc, I can't have you hassling my customers," Wade said with a grin.

"He's not a customer. He's Lavon," Zoe answered around a mouth full of burger. She finished chewing and wiped her mouth. "Him and Annabeth though?" she asked Wade in a whisper. "That's – odd." Wade shook his head.

"No odder than you and me, Doc," he said. Zoe smiled.

"Touche," she agreed.

"What are you doing tonight?" Wade asked.

"Sitting in the dark. Preferably with you."

"Be home around, say, seven," Wade instructed.

"Why?"

"It's a surprise."

"A surprise?" Zoe's ears perked up.

"Yes, ma'am. Now don't ask questions. Just be at your place at seven."

"Yes, sir," Zoe said with a grin. She finished off her burger. "I'm going to go out and check on your dad while the sun is shining," she told him. "I haven't been out there in a couple of days."

"Let me know how he's doing," Wade said automatically.

"Of course."

Earl spent most of his time sleeping these days, his home, barely damaged in the storms, being supported by generators. Wade and his sister were still trading days, but both of them spent much of their time there these days, wanting to get every moment they could with their father. As a doctor, Zoe knew Earl wouldn't last much longer and was even a bit perplexed that he was still hanging in there. As someone who had grown to care deeply about Earl, she too wanted to hold on to every moment.

"Come here and let me give you a kiss goodbye," Wade said. "I done leaned over this bar one time today. That's all I've got in me." Zoe laughed and leaned over the bar to kiss Wade. Even though his shoulder ached and a headache was threatening, his bar surviving for a few hours a day on a generator and a charcoal grill and his father dying, he couldn't help but grin as he watched Zoe leave. Life really wasn't all that bad.

* * *

><p>At seven on the dot, Zoe, driving Lavon's hybrid, came to a stop in front of her house. She laughed from the driver's seat as she took in what Wade had been up to.<p>

A table and chairs had been set up on her porch, complete with candles. A few well-placed candles lined the porch as well, including, she noticed, a few citronella candles to ward off the ever-present mosquitos. Wade himself stood at the top of her porch stairs, grinning.

"What are you up to?" Zoe asked as she climbed the stairs.

"Just wanted to do something nice for you," Wade said, reaching out for Zoe and pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his one-armed embrace. "You've been working so hard and taken such good care of me, my dad, everyone… I figured you could use a night off." Zoe grinned up at him before standing on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek.

"You are amazing," she told him. Wade shook his head modestly.

"You're the amazin' one, Doc." He led her to the table and pulled out her chair for you. "Now don't get too excited. Dinner is just flank steaks, corn on the cob and baked potatoes, all on the grill."

"Steaks? Are you kidding me? After eating nothing but burgers, hotdogs and pop tarts for days and days, steak sounds amazing. How'd you get your hands on steaks anyway?"

"Had some left in one of the freezer at the Rammer Jammer. We had to move what was in it to the other one – gettin' low on fuel for the generator and we can't keep runnin' 'em both – and I figured I may as well cook 'em for us before they went bad."

Zoe just shook her head. She'd been so impressed with how hard Wade had been working to keep the Rammer Jammer open, even if just for a few hours a day, to provide hot meals and a place for the town to gather. He'd even managed to get his hands on more burger patties and hot dogs, the owner of the Dixie Stop bringing what he'd had in his freezers over to Wade when his own generator had played out. It was getting harder to get fuel though, the surrounding towns also without electricity, and if power didn't get restored soon, the few places that had been able to remain open on generators would have to close.

They dined as the sun set, talking about their days and having what Zoe imagined was a very normal evening, despite no electricity. Neither of them had showered in two days and her hair was piled up in a knot on top of her head while Wade was wearing what she was certain was a now dirty shirt, but they were happy, just being together.

For dessert, Wade produced supplies for smores, using a candle to roast marshmallows. He scoffed at when Zoe told him she'd never had a smore and laughed when she proceeded to eat three herself, declaring them better than those fancy black and white cookies she loved so much. Eventually, they ended up by the pond, Zoe seated comfortably in Wade's lap. His ribs protested a bit at the added weight, but he wasn't about to complain.

"This has been perfect," she stated. "Thank you."

Wade kissed her hair. "Only the best for my girl," he told her. They sat in silence for a while, the Alabama spring air comfortable, tree frogs croaking in the distance.

"It's funny, how life turns out," Zoe said finally, breaking the quiet. "Who would have thought I'd find everything I wanted in Bluebell, Alabama? And who would have thought it would be almost exactly opposite from everything I thought I wanted?"

"Big city life, hot shot surgeon, married to another hot shot surgeon or else a lawyer or business man… And you end up in a small town as a general practitioner with a bar owning boyfriend," Wade said.

"Sounds about right," Zoe agreed. "Except I didn't really think about getting married or anything like that when I was in New York. My life revolved around my career. The guy – he was just sort of there. It's not like that now."

"What's it like now?" Wade prompted. He had a feeling he knew what Zoe was saying but also felt pretty sure she hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"Well, I mean, I just… Sometimes I think about the future, like the way way way future…." She stumbled through what she was trying to say, not wanting to say too much that might scare Wade. It was a big enough deal, him being in a committed relationship. Talk of marriage and all that went with it, she was afraid, was far too much for him at this point. As if he sensed the direction of her thoughts, he gave her a squeeze.

"I think about that too, Doc," he admitted. "What it'll be like one day, to call you my wife." Zoe sat up and looked at him.

"Really?" she asked. Wade nodded, suddenly serious.

"I plan to marry you, one day. We can get married at the courthouse or you can have a big, fancy wedding and invite the whole town. I'd even go to New York to get married if that's what you want. I just want to be with you."

"Here," Zoe told him with a smile. "One day, we'll get married here, in Bluebell." Wade chuckled and accepted Zoe's kiss. "But it will be big. I don't have all those wedding ideas pinned on Pinterest for my health." Wade laughed, not entirely sure what she was talking about but willing to go along with it all the same.

"So long as you have my last name at the end of it," he told her. Zoe nodded, smiling. It was his turn to ask a question. "You ever thought about kids? You know, a few years or so from now?" Slowly, Zoe nodded again.

"Back in New York, I didn't want kids. I knew what it was like to be the daughter of two busy, professional parents and I didn't want that for any child I might have. But here, here it just feels right, to someday have a couple of kids running around the practice." She paused and looked at Wade. "Or around the Rammer Jammer."

"I agree," he said simply. He pulled Zoe closer, hiding the twinge of pain he felt run through his shoulder, aware that she'd spring away from him if she knew he was hurting. Soon, they were making out like teenagers in the back seat of a parent's borrowed car.

Without warning, there was a pop and light suddenly filled the space. Zoe leapt away from Wade, her sudden movements causing him to yelp in pain. It took her a moment to realize what had happened.

"Wade! We have power!" she exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and taking in the beauty that was the electricity streaming through every window of both she and Wade's houses.

"Well look at that," Wade said, making his way to his feet. Zoe was already pulling the knot out of her hair.

"I'm going to take a shower she announced. She looked over her shoulder. "Want to join me?" Wade grinned.

"Oh you know I do."

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it! Fluff and comedy. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	29. Temporary Home

**I'm FINALLY getting this posted! I feel like I've been working on it forever. I apologize for the delay. I moved back to my hometown to accept a new job and am temporarily squatting at my parents while I wait for my apartment lease to start. Needless to say, there's been a lot of excitement over the last two months! **

**PLEASE READ: I want to put a disclaimer up here at the top. This update is heavy. It deals with death and the myriad of emotions that surround it. If you have experienced the death of a child or loved one, this could be hard to read. **

**Personally, I lost my grandfather in August. He spent several weeks in hospice care and my family will forever be indebted to the hospice nurses and his doctors who cared not only for him, but us as well. I drew on that experience below and writing this was therapeutic for me. I hope you appreciate it. **

**This is based on Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home."**

**THINGS I OWN: A fantastic new rug for my fantastic new apartment. THINGS I DON'T OWN: Hart of Dixie.**

* * *

><p>Wade let out a nervous sigh as he wiped down the bar and glanced at the wall clock above the door. It was nearing last call. He was ready to close things down for the night, find Zoe and make sure she was okay. Okay was the operative word, of course, but he needed more than a reassuring text message to prove to himself that she was still as in one piece as she could be, given the circumstances.<p>

Looking around his bar, the subdued Saturday night crowd, down to stragglers now, was all the proof he needed that Zoe's world was on its ear. It had been a dark day in the town, the kind that pulled the citizens of Bluebell together and bought out the best of the tightknit community. There had been a lot of that lately, in the wake of the tornados. As far as Wade was concerned, there had been too much of it lately, Bluebell seemingly unable to catch a break from heartache. He tossed his rag aside and adjusted the strap on his sling as Lavon approached.

"One more Jack and Coke?" he asked as he approached. Lavon shook his head, as weary as Wade had ever seen him.

"Just came over to tell you goodnight before I head back to the plantation," he said. He glanced around the bar then back at Wade. "Heard from Zoe?"

"She finally replied to one of my texts an hour or so ago," he answered. "She didn't say where she was, but let me know she was okay."

"Poor girl," Lavon sighed. "What a day." Wade nodded.

"How are the Parkers holding up?" he asked.

"Brick had to sedate Mrs. Parker," Lavon told him. "Her sister and mother came down from Montgomery to be with her. Mr. Parker's parents are here now, too. He was sitting in an armchair, not moving much, just staring straight ahead when I left. Jane kept asking where her brother was… I just can't even imagine…."

Wade shook his head, his heart twisting for the family. "Me either," he said. "Losing my dad is hard enough, but at least I know he's dying, you know? I've been able to spend time with him, say goodbye. But to just lose someone so suddenly, especially a child…" Wade trailed off, unable to even begin to comprehend what the Parkers were going through.

It had started as a normal day for the family. Travis and Deborah Parker had loaded up their three year old daughter Jane and their eight year old son Tyler and headed to the local beach for the day. They'd enjoyed a picnic, flew kites and built a sandcastle. The surf hadn't been especially rough that day and while the ocean had been too cool to go for a swim, the family had wandered along the edge, picking up seashells as water crept up over their feet before retreating back into the ocean.

Every person who had witnessed the next series of events had told the same story. Tyler had spotted a conch shell in the surf and had took off for it, not listening to his parents as they called for him to stop, to come back and wait until the water receded. He'd been knocked down by a wave, one that wouldn't have fazed most adults confident in the water but strong enough to knock down the small boy.

He'd been caught in the surf then, pulled into the ocean almost as if the waves were arms and hands, pulling and tugging even as he struggled. His father had gone in after him along with several other onlookers, but he had been pulled into a riptide and by the time he'd been pulled from the water, things looked grim.

Zoe had been the doctor on call. She'd been seated at the Rammer Jammer bar, sampling the cook's experiment with using leftover pancake batter from the morning to make funnel cakes and giving her unsolicited recommendations when the call had come in. She'd took off, shouting to Wade about an emergency at the beach as she'd fumbled for the keys to her newly purchased Prius. She'd made it to the beach in minutes, breaking several traffic laws in the process, and, kicking her Jimmy Choos off in the sand, had raced to the boy's side.

Not a soul in the crowd of bystanders would argue that Dr. Hart hadn't done everything in her power to save the child. She'd continued CPR long after the EMTs who had arrived after her with an ambulance and additional equipment had given up and advised her to do the same. She worked on the boy for nearly an hour before finally, she'd sat back on her knees and mumbled a time of death as tears poured down her face.

She'd disappeared once she'd answered questions from the police, filled out paperwork and spoke briefly with the Parkers who were understandably inconsolable. Word had gotten to the Rammer Jammer pretty quickly and Wade had spent the evening sick with worry, not sure where she was but certain she wasn't okay.

"It's awful," Lavon commented. He shook his head again, unable to believe what had transpired in his town that day. He'd just watched the boy playing a pickup game of baseball at the park after school two days earlier. "I'm worried about Zoe."

"Me too," Wade confirmed. "She's got a lot on her, right now." The town had, by and large, recovered from the tornados, buildings repaired, streets cleaned and injuries, his broken ribs, concussed head and dislocated shoulder included, had started to fade. "She worked so hard during and after the tornadoes and she's been treating my dad for weeks now. She's been out there daily lately, doing everything she can to make him comfortable. Losing Tyler…" Lavon just nodded, understanding what Wade was saying. He studied Wade for a few moments, noting not for the first time how tired and worn down he looked.

"How are you holding up?" he asked. Wade shrugged his injured shoulder and immediately regretted it as a dull pain worked through it.

"He sleeps a lot," he said. "Almost always, now. Doc says that's normal. She said he's not in any pain which is good…"

"I meant you," Lavon said, giving Wade a pointed look. Wade sighed. His automatic answer was always 'fine' but this wasn't Dash DeWitt or Shelia Whitaker or the produce guy or beer delivery man asking. This was Lavon, one of his oldest and closest friends.

"It's all I can do to put one foot in front of the other," he admitted. "I'm trying to spend as much time with Dad as I can and help Meredith take care of him, but I've got to be here too. I'm still recoverin' from the tornado, getting' deliveries in to fill the coolers with food and drinks again, havin' some minor repair work done, takin' care of insurance papers and all that mess. And someone has to do the payroll and write out checks to vendors. I know my shoulder and ribs and head ain't healin' as fast as they should, but I just can't rest, you know? And I'm tryin' to be there for Zoe…" Wade let out a heavy sigh. It felt good to air his burden to someone who wouldn't judge him for feeling overwhelmed by his dying father, running a business and trying to be a decent boyfriend.

"Like you said, it's one foot in front of the other," Lavon said sympathetically. He wished he could do more to help his friend but had no idea what he could do to help besides be there when he needed to talk and show up at Earl's with greasy burgers and milkshakes for everyone. "It's hard right now, but every storm runs out of rain." Wade frowned.

"Did you just quote a country song?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," Lavon confirmed. "It's nearly one in the morning and it's been a long, emotionally exhausting day. I'm allowed." Wade chuckled in spite of himself and watched as Annabeth waved covertly to Lavon as she left the Rammer Jammer with Cricket. Lavon gave her a minute nod that Wade only caught because he was paying attention.

"That your secret code?" he asked.

"Sort of," Lavon admitted. "She's gonna take Cricket home – she's a little worse for the wear – and then head over to the plantation. So that's your warning." Wade rolled his eyes as Lavon got up to leave.

"If you happen to see Zoe…," Wade said.

"I'll call you," Lavon confirmed. The pair exchanged goodnights and Lavon left as Wade made the last call announcement. He checked his phone as he poured a last round of drinks, not surprised when there wasn't a text from Zoe.

* * *

><p>Lavon dragged himself up his porch stairs, stepping over Burt Reynolds in the process. He stretched and yawned as he made his way to the door, eager for Annabeth to get there so they could go to bed and just sleep. It had been a long day and all he wanted was the woman he was falling in love with to be by his side as he finally got some shut eye.<p>

He made his way to the fridge, not bothering with a light, and opened it to fish out a bottle of water, taking a moment to appreciate the interior light that popped on and illuminated his newly repaired kitchen with a soft glow. Water in hand, he started for the stairs, deciding to go ahead and get into pajamas and turn the bed down as he waited, only to veer off course and head out onto his rarely used screened in back porch.

"How long you been out here?" he asked, sitting down in the wicker chair next to the one Zoe was curled up in, an empty bottle of wine and an overturned wine glass at her feet. He sent a quick text to Wade, letting him know she was there before pocketing his phone.

"A while," Zoe admitted. "But not long."

"That makes no sense," Lavon pointed out. Zoe sighed.

"I know. I've been here for a while, but not all evening. I went to the cemetery and just sat for a while. I haven't had a chance to visit Harley and it was the only place I could think of to go after – everything." Lavon noticed then that she was still covered in sand, her hair limp and stringy, her makeup washed away from the buckets of tears he knew she'd cried.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"I'm not," Zoe replied bluntly. "I lost an eight year old boy today, Lavon. I couldn't save him. I did everything I could. Everything! Nothing was good enough." There was anger in her voice.

"You did everything you could," Lavon repeated. "You went above and beyond to save that little boy. I know you're going to sit around and beat yourself up and go over and over everything in that mind of yours but Zoe, you really did everything you could." Zoe shook her head.

"You weren't there," she reminded him. "You didn't see his parents. You didn't have to face them and tell them that you couldn't save their little boy. Their child, Lavon!" Zoe felt her heart speeding up as panic set it once again. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to try and calm herself. "You weren't there," she repeated.

"You can't save everyone, Big Z," Lavon said softly. Zoe turned her big, sad eyes towards him.

"I know," she admitted. "I just… Before, in New York, I didn't _care_. I mean, yeah, it sucked when I lost a patient but it was part of the job. Routine. Heart surgery is risky and people die. It happens. I never stopped to realize that I'd lost a person. Not a patient, a person. Someone's grandpa or mother. A daughter, a brother, a best friend… But now, caring, it makes it so hard. Tyler wasn't just another patient. He was a son, a big brother, a grandson… He was only 8 years old. I just… I don't…" Zoe smacked the arm chair in frustration that she couldn't put her thoughts into words. Lavon reached over and covered her hand with his own and waited. "I just wish I didn't care so much," she finally said.

"Zoe, you're a good doctor because you care so much," Lavon told her. "Today wasn't an easy day. You're gonna have days like this. It comes with the job."

"I couldn't save him," Zoe said softly, repeating herself again, the same mantra having run through her mind all evening and well into the night, louder since she downed the bottle of wine. "I did everything…"

"You did everything," Lavon confirmed patiently. "You kept working to save him even when everyone else gave up. The Parkers will remember that for the rest of their lives."

"Maybe," Zoe mumbled. "Or maybe I'm not a good doctor. I couldn't save Tyler. There's nothing I can do for Earl…"

"Zoe, stop," Lavon said sternly. She was a bottle of wine down and beating herself up, making it difficult to get through to her. But he was going to try. "Once again, you did everything you could to save Tyler. And Earl, he's a very sick man. His life decisions played a big part in what's going on with him. Harley, Brick, his kids, me… Everyone in this town at one point or another tried to get through to him. And remember, he decided not to go through with treatment. You've done everything you can to make him comfortable and give Wade and Meredith as much time with their father as you could."

"I know," Zoe sighed. "Deep down, I know. It's just… It's hard. Tyler was in the office not two months ago with a sore throat. I wrote him a prescription and he was back in back in school the next day. It's just… It's really hard not to feel responsible." Lavon knew there would be little reasoning with Zoe tonight. He reached over and patted her shoulder.

"You're a good doctor, Dr. Hart," he said. "And you're an even better person. Things will look better in the morning after you get some sleep." His eyes fell on the bottle of wine. "Well, maybe in the afternoon, when that hangover wears off. Of course, there's always day after tomorrow."

"You're a good friend, Lavon," Zoe said with the faintest of smiles. She drew her knees up to her chest. The sound of Annabeth arriving floated out to where they sat. "Mind if I just sit out here for a while?" Zoe asked. "I know you want to go spend some time with AB."

"Sit out here as long as you need to," Lavon said, already standing. "Just – my bedroom? Off limits." Zoe chuckled then. She'd been known to bust into Lavon's bedroom with one problem or another with no regards for whether he was alone or not.

"Okay," she said. "Tell AB I said hi."

"Will do." Lavon leaned down and planted a big brother-like kiss on top of her head then picked up her empty wine bottle and glass. "Night, Zoe." He heard her mumble a response as he went inside. He greeted Annabeth and directed her towards his bedroom after filling her about Zoe. He was about to follow when Wade slipped into the kitchen and looked at Lavon.

"She's out there," Lavon said, nodding towards the patio. Wade nodded.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Upset," Lavon answered. He nodded towards the bottle and glass he'd left on the counter. "Drunk." Wade sighed. He'd figured as much.

"Thanks, Lavon," he said as he headed towards the door.

"Hey, Wade?" Wade stopped.

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor. When everything settles down? Take that girl on a vacation. God knows she needs one. And I suspect you could use some time away too." Wade gave Lavon a tired smile.

"I will," he promised. He headed outside then where he found Zoe still in her chair, knees tucked up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, head down. She was nearly asleep. His heart broke for her.

"Hey, baby," he said softly. He leaned down to pick her up. "Let's go home."

"Wade?" Zoe asked groggily.

"I've got you," he said. He kissed the side of her head and made his way back through the house with her. He put her in the passenger's seat of his car and wasn't all together surprised when he managed to get her out of the car and into the house without waking her up.

"Mmm," Zoe moaned as he gently placed her on his bed and carefully started to undress her, knowing she wouldn't want to sleep in the dirty clothes she was wearing. He realized quickly though that she needed a shower. Sand poured from her shoes and a fine later of sand, grit and grime covered most of her body. He left her to turn on the shower and stripped down to his boxers before returning to her.

"Come on, Doc," he said, helping her to her feet. She was still groggy but she walked into the bathroom under her own power and helped Wade with removing the rest of her clothes.

"I'm so tired," she sighed.

"And drunk," Wade said with a small smile.

"That too," Zoe agreed. She stepped under the stream of hot water and closed her eyes, letting the weight of the day fully sink in. Wade removed his boxers and joined her, slipping his arms around her from behind.

"How are you doing?" he asked her gently as the hot water poured over them. Zoe turned to him.

"Just hold me," she said, curling into Wade's chest. Wade tightened his arms around her and let her cry. He didn't let go until they resembled prunes and the hot water was gone.

* * *

><p>It had been one of the longest week's Zoe could remember. It had been full of sadness and heartache but also of community. Bluebell had banded together to support the Parker family and even though she felt they deserved it more than her, her neighbors had also been there for her, bringing her pies and cakes and sending her cards of support, thanking her for everything she did to save Tyler.<p>

The day she'd been dreading had happened three days ago. She'd met with the Parkers, sure they were going to demand her head for not being able to save their son. Instead, they thanked her repeatedly, cried with her, hugged her. It was therapeutic for all of them and had helped in their healing process. She'd ended up spending the rest of that evening helping Wade at the Rammer Jammer, both to keep her mind off things and to help him out. He'd never admit it, but she could tell he was overwhelmed with keeping his bar up and running, caring for Earl and being there for her.

In a perfect world, Tyler's funeral would have marked a sort of beginning, a point where she could move forward without thinking about death every day. But that wasn't the case. Earl had held on far longer than she expected but as he slept longer and longer and his vitals slowly crept lower, she knew it wouldn't be long before he slipped out of this world. She and Wade, along with Wade's sister and her family, had spent nearly all of their time with Earl over the last few days, Brick covering the practice to allow her to be with Wade. She'd found herself playing mediator, keeping the steady stream of visitors at bay and thanking them for their pies, casseroles and kind words. It was exhausting, but Zoe wouldn't be anywhere else.

As the sun started sinking on another day, she'd found herself sitting on Earl's back porch, watching Mckenzie and Jacob play with an assortment of bubbles, balls and a plastic golf set they'd been gifted by Shelia Whitaker earlier in the day. Mckenzie, Zoe noticed, had the toy stethoscope from the doctor's kit she'd given the little girl draped around her neck as she played. The little girl had become Zoe's shadow, declaring she wanted to be a doctor and wear high heels too, while Jacob, more reserved than his older sister, had spent a lot of time following Wade around in a sort of quiet hero worship.

"Careful!" Zoe called out as Jacob swung one of the plastic clubs haphazardly, narrowly missing his sister. She chuckled to herself, realizing how much like her own mother, or at least her various nannies, she sounded. Watching the children play, she marveled at the idea that they were so full of life with so much ahead of them as Earl breathed his last breaths just on the other side of the wall. She also thought of Tyler and his sister, how they probably played in their own backyard the same way and never would again. She was deep in thought about the circle of life and death and didn't hear the door open. She jumped when Meredith sat down beside her.

"Sorry," Meredith apologized, the bags under her eyes dark and heavy. "I didn't meant to scare you."

"Don't worry about it," Zoe said with a shake of her head. "I was lost in thought. Never heard the door open."

"There's plenty to think about," Meredith agreed. She fell silent for a few moments, watching her little ones thoughtfully. "Daddy's awake right now," she finally said. "He asked for some time alone with Wade. Eric went upstairs to take a shower and I… I just needed some air."

"How was he?" Zoe asked of Earl. He slept nearly around the clock but in the few minutes of the day he was awake, he tended to mumble nonsense and speak to people that weren't in the room, people like his parents who had passed on years earlier."

"He seemed to have his mind about him," Meredith told her. "You know, last night, I was sitting up with him and he started having a conversation with someone, plain as day. I figured out pretty quickly it was Mama." She turned to look at Zoe. "I know the pamphlets from hospice say that hallucinations are part of the dying process and I know you're a woman of science and won't agree with me, but I think it was Mama. She's there, helping him let go of this world and join hers." Zoe smiled softly.

"I believe that too," she admitted. Once upon a time, she wouldn't have. But being in Bluebell, falling in love, she'd changed. She could believe the impossible.

"You know what he's doing, right?" Meredith asked. Zoe waited for her to continue. "He's telling Wade goodbye." Her voice broke on 'goodbye' and she took several breaths to pull herself together. "He told me goodbye yesterday afternoon, while you and Wade were gone to the Dixie Stop. He went on about how much he loved me, how he wished he'd done things differently, how much he loved the kids… He even told me he liked Eric 'well enough' even if he did marry his only daughter." Zoe chuckled.

"For what it's worth, I never saw Earl as the town drunk," Zoe said carefully, hoping she didn't offend Meredith. "He's observant, intuitive. He's got a knack for telling people what's really going on with them, even when they don't know themselves." Zoe paused. "Wade gets that from him," she added. Meredith turned to look at Zoe.

"You're good for him, you know that? Wade, I mean." Zoe shook her head.

"He's good for me," she said.

"You make him better," Meredith insisted. "He's changed so much since you came into his life. He's happier, responsible. He's always kept the Rammer Jammer up and running and doing well, but the rest of his responsibilities, well, you met him when you moved here."

"Loud music, string of girls, fast car…, yeah, I met him," Zoe said, shaking her head, hardly able to believe he was the same person she'd barged in on during her first night in Bluebell.

"I've always regretted leaving him to fend for himself like I did. I was selfish back then, wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of here and away from Daddy and the mess his life had become. Then he got into trouble with Tansy, gave up college… I just figured he'd end up like Daddy and let him to it. I should've been there."

"You can't change the past," Zoe said gently. "But I've seen how much closer the two of you have gotten since Earl's been sick. Maybe consider it a second chance?" Meredith smiled sadly and nodded.

"Definitely," she agreed. "Besides, I've always wanted a sister and Eric's an only child," she added, giving Zoe a knowing look. Zoe smiled, thinking of how someday Wade's family truly would be hers, even if she already had started to consider them as such.

"I wouldn't hate having a sister either," Zoe said. "Only child too. Unless my mother or Harley have some sort of illegitimate child I don't know about. Given how I came to be, it's not entirely unlikely." She was only half kidding.

"I guess we both have messed up families, huh?" Meredith asked. Zoe nodded in agreement as Meredith sighed heavily. "I shouldn't have ever let Wade deal with Daddy on his own," she said. "He's always looked after him, sung him down from the roof, made sure he had food to eat, that his bills got paid. I blew into town about once every other month or so to visit for a couple of hours and spent nearly the entire time telling him how he needed to get his life together or berating him for how he let the house get. Now…" She trailed off. Zoe remained quiet, waiting to see if Meredith would say more. When she didn't, Zoe decided it was time to change the subject, steer Meredith away from beating herself up further for things she couldn't change.

"You know, Mac looks a lot like your mother," she said. "Wade was showing me pictures the other day. The resemblance was uncanny."

"She does," Meredith said, smiling softly as she watched her daughter blowing bubbles for her little brother to chase. "But between me and you? She acts like Wade, so much so it's even more uncanny than how much she looks like Mama. When we were kids and Wade would get in trouble, he'd run and hide in the coat closet in the hall. I don't know why it never occurred to him to find a new spot because after the first few times, Mama and Daddy knew where to look. Mac does the exact same thing when she gets in trouble. Except she goes into the pantry in the kitchen. And usually helps herself to cookies, chips, whatever she can reach."

"You know what he does when he gets in trouble now?" Zoe asked seriously.

"What?" Meredith asked, her eyes brightening with amusement.

"He comes home with a bottle of wine, my favorite cookies and an apology." Meredith burst out laughing.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Every time," Zoe confirmed. "Unless it was my fault but I'm always right so it never is."

"Oh, it's never our fault," Meredith agreed. "When Eric knows I'm mad at him, he stops at my favorite bakery near his office. I can tell by what he brings home just how guilty he is. A cupcake and all is forgiven. One of their peanut butter cheesecakes and he'll be sleeping on the couch." Zoe opened her mouth to continue dishing about Wade, enjoying bonding with Meredith, but they were interrupted by Wade. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. His clenched jaw and red eyes told them everything.

"I should give the kids their baths," Meredith said, knowing her brother had come in search of Zoe. She stood and called for Mac and Jake who came surprisingly willingly compared to most evenings. Mac chanced a friendly smile at her uncle as she passed but both children seemed to sense their fun Uncle Wade wasn't himself. Once they were inside, Wade sat down next to Zoe on the porch steps. She slid closer to him and looped her arm through his. Resting her head on his shoulder, she waited until he was ready to talk.

"I spent most of my childhood wishing it was him instead of her," Wade said quietly, anger laced in his voice. "I didn't understand – truth be told, I still don't understand – why God would take Mama and not him. Why would he take the good parent and leave me and Meredith with Earl? Meredith and me took care of ourselves. We got ourselves up for school, fixed our own meals, worked to pay bills, washed our own clothes, did all the things a parent was supposed to do while Earl drank himself into oblivion night in and night out.

"And it didn't stop, neither. Here I am, thirty damn years old and singing him off a roof the first of every month, like I'm the parent and he's the child. He wouldn't eat if I didn't bring him food from the Rammer Jammer. I've had to pay his bills more times than I can count because he didn't bother. Why in the hell did it take until he's on his death bed for him to bother to let us know how much he loves us?"

Zoe didn't know what to say to comfort Wade so she remained by his side, lacing her fingers through his, their arms still looped together, to let her know she was there for him.

"You know what he wanted?" he asked Zoe. "To tell me goodbye. Who does he think he is?"

"Wade," Zoe said softly. She squeezed his hand. "It's okay to be angry." She knew she'd hit the nail on the head when Wade let go of her hand and rubbed his hands roughly over his face.

"I'm not angry," he said. "I'm pissed off."

"Why?" Zoe pressed. She knew Wade and knew he needed to talk about what was going on in his head. She also knew he'd need a few buttons pushed to get him to open up. He'd come a long way, just as she had, but he still had his demons.

"Because he's dying!" Wade erupted. "He's dying, Zoe! And there ain't a damn thing I can do about it!" He cracked then, letting his emotions surface. Zoe averted her eyes while he wiped at his tears, knowing he would rather her not see him cry. Several minutes passed before he was able to pull himself together.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Zoe told him. "You're allowed to be angry."

"Is this how you felt?" he asked. "Last week, I mean? With Tyler?" Zoe considered his question answer.

"Sort of," she said. "I was angry at myself because I couldn't save him, even though I knew I did everything I could. I think this is a little different though. You're not mad at yourself. You're mad at Earl."

"Damn right, I'm mad at him!" Wade fumed. "I've spent more than half my life looking after him, trying to make sure he had food to eat, a roof over his head, that he didn't get behind the wheel and kill somebody. And then he goes and dies from alcohol anyway."

There were few times in her life when she was left speechless, but this was one of them. She reached over and rubbed his back, hoping he understood that she was there for him.

"We had to watch Mama die," Wade said quietly. "I didn't want to have to do it all over again."

"We don't get to choose how we die," Zoe said softly. "I know it means everything to Earl to have you and Meredith here with him. And I know too that you wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Slowly, Wade shook his head.

"He kept telling me how proud of me he is," he told Zoe. "He acted like I'd won a Nobel Peace Prize or something when all I've ever done was screw up my shot at a college education and end up back here, running a bar."

"I think he has every reason to be proud of you," Zoe told him. "I know I am." Wade studied her, a look of wonder on his face.

"I don't deserve you," he finally said. "Never have, never will."

"I tend to think that about you," Zoe told him. Wade scoffed. "I do. Even if you'll never accept that I'm as lucky to have you as you think you are to have me. Which, for the record, I think you got the shorter end of the stick. I'm bossy, neurotic, a total handful… You really got stuck with a dud." Wade chuckled despite himself.

"Agree to disagree?" he asked. Zoe smiled and nodded.

"Sure," she agreed. Wade took her hand again. His hand grazed back and forth over the ring finger on her left hand.

"He was talkin' 'bout how he wouldn't be around to see us get married," he said softly. "He was tellin' me to be good to you, to love you and hold on to you, no matter what. Then he got all sad and said he wished he could see us get married, especially since Mama is gone. All I could do was promise him I'd marry you someday." Zoe looked at their interlocked fingers then at Wade. An idea popped into her mind and before she could convince herself it was a bad idea, she was opening her mouth.

"Then why don't we?" she asked. Wade looked at her.

"Why don't we what?"

"Get married," Zoe said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "This evening, even. I'm sure Reverend Mayfair would be happy to come out here and conduct the ceremony. He's been coming out here every day to visit with Earl anyway. We can get married right in the living room. Earl will never have to leave his hospital bed. We'll call Lavon and Annabeth, they'd kill us if we missed it. And maybe George and Lemon too. Although Lemon will probably be furious that we beat her to the alter. Oh, and Brick. He'd have to be here. He's… Well, he's Brick and the closest thing to Harley I've got so he'll have to do and…"

"Zoe," Wade interrupted. She didn't hear him.

"And Meredith and Eric and the kids are already here. Mac can be the flower girl and Jacob can be the ring bearer. We don't have rings, but that's a minor detail. We'll figure that out. Same for a marriage license. Lavon's the mayor. He can pull some strings and get us one. I can run home and get this great Kate Spade dress I have…"

"Zoe," Wade tried again.

"It'll be great. After everything that happened with Tyler and everything that's going on with Earl, I think a wedding is just what we need. Something happy and light that can make everyone smile and forget all the pain for a while." She finally stopped talking and looked at Wade. "So, what do you think?" Wade took a deep breath.

"I want to marry you," he said, realizing now just how much he wanted Zoe as his wife. Zoe's eyes lit up and she went to open her mouth again but Wade stopped her, speaking quickly. "But not like this," he said. His heart twisted as Zoe's face fell and he almost took it back.

"But…" she started.

"Zoe, I love you," Wade said, pulling her even closer to him. "But Doc, this ain't what you want. This kind of weddin,' I mean. You done already said you wanted a big wedding for all of Bluebell and your New York friends to come to. Something about Pinterest…" Zoe grinned just a little, remembering their conversation a couple weeks ago. "As much as I want to say yes, absolutely, let's get married – this isn't the right time or the right way."

"I just… I thought…" Zoe was a bit surprised to find she had a hard time explaining herself.

"I'm gonna marry you some day," Wade promised. "But when I do, it'll be done right. I'll get down on one knee and ask you to be my wife, put a sparkly ring on your finger. We'll have the weddin' you've been dreamin' about and go on a proper honeymoon. 'Course, I probably ain't gonna care about stuff like flowers and tablecloths and whatever else George is always complainin' 'bout Lemon obsessin' over, but I'll put up with if its what makes you my wife. And I reckon your Mom and that Gigi friend of yours mind want to be here to see you get married too."

"You're probably right," Zoe admitted, realizing how rash she'd been. "I just… Everyone is hurting and sad and I want to do something to help."

"Come here," Wade whispered, two words that Zoe loved to hear him say. He pulled her into his lap so he could hold her close. "This right here?" he asked. "You, here with me? This helps more than you know." Zoe didn't reply. She just laid her head on his shoulder. They sat there for a while, both allowing the other's presence to calm them.

"You know," Zoe finally said. "My mom would have probably came down here just to kill me if I'd gotten married without her here. Gigi would have come along too to help dig the grave."

"Somethin' tells me I'd be the one in the ground," Wade said. He kissed Zoe's cheek then helped her to her feet, deciding it was time they get inside and check on Earl, maybe find something to eat. As he held the door open for Zoe, he reached into his left pocket and closed his hands briefly around the contents. Just minutes before he'd joined Zoe on the porch, Earl had given him his mother's engagement ring. It would be Zoe's one day, probably sooner rather than later.

* * *

><p>A shrill ringing woke Zoe from a deep sleep. Groggily, she sat up and groped in the dark for her phone, locating it on the nightstand but not before knocking over a bottle of lotion and sending the book she'd been reading before she'd finally fallen asleep tumbling to the ground. She briefly registered Wade's name and '2:30 AM' on the alarm clock before answering.<p>

"Hello?" she asked, her voice full of sleep.

"Zo…" came Wade's voice. Zoe was alert at once, the urgency and heartbreak in his voice getting her full attention. "You need…" he broke off, as he took a ragged breath. Zoe didn't need to hear anymore.

"I'm on my way," she told him. She hung up, turned on a lamp and got out of bed all in one swift motion, cursing herself for allowing Wade to talk her into heading home for the night instead of staying at Earl's with him like she'd planned. His speech about her needing rest, especially after the week she'd had and their talk on the porch the night before which had subsequently resulted in them staying up into the wee hours of the morning doing anything but talking as quietly as they could in Wade's childhood bedroom, had made sense at the time but now she was at least 20 minutes away.

Having somehow intuitively known the call she'd just received would come during the night, she'd worn something more presentable than she usually would to bed, allowing her to skip the step of dressing as she rushed to collect her bag and slip on the first pair of shoes she found, her old Wellies. Tangled hair flying behind her, she rushed out the door, grabbing her car keys from the table by the door.

She knew Bluebell well by now but at night, it was a different animal. She drove as fast as she safely could, slowing for curves and slamming on the brakes at one point to avoid a herd of deer crossing the road, her heart in her throat. Tears burned at her eyes but she did her best to push them out. There would be time to cry later. Right now, she needed to be Dr. Hart. Wade, Meredith and Earl needed her to be Dr. Hart.

It had rained on and off all day and combined with the humidity, a thick fog had formed in places. She navigated it as best she could, driving in general still a new concept to her, let alone driving through fog. Heat lightning crackled in the cloudy sky and she could practically feel more rain coming. It took her thirty minutes before she was finally turning into Earl's old driveway on the outskirts of town.

Every light in the old home was on. Zoe was struck suddenly with a clear vision of how it used to be – a time when the paint was fresh and the yard was kept, the fields around it thriving, Wade and Meredith playing in the side yard under the big oak tree that had withstood more storms than anyone would ever be able to count. It was such a vivid picture that Zoe could hardly believe it wasn't real when she blinked and once more saw the dilapidated home before her. She grabbed her bag and tumbled out of the car in hurry, catching herself on the door before she hit the ground.

Wade appeared on the porch then, the dim porch light illuminating the exhaustion and sadness that had permeated every nook of his body. As Zoe made her way to him, she wished she could take away even a sliver of his pain. She climbed the stairs and made for the door, but Wade stopped her. He didn't say a word, but pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her hair and drawing in a shaky deep breath. The sound of another car crunching the gravel followed by the flood of headlights followed, making them both look.

"Reverend Mayfair," Wade told her. He squeezed Zoe's arm before letting her go. "Go on in," he said. "I'll wait here for the reverend." Zoe nodded and entered the house. Just outside the living room, she paused and took a few deep breaths, conjuring up every ounce of strength she had. When she entered, it was all she could do not to walk right back out.

Earl was lying in his hospital bed and looked almost peaceful except a purple tinge had taken over his body and with each breath, now, Zoe realized, few and far between, was emitting a rattling sound. Meredith was at his side, holding his hand and crying quietly. Eric sat on a sofa nearby, Jacob asleep in his lap, Mckenzie sitting at his side, her head resting on her daddy's shoulder, clutching a doll as she took everything in with observant eyes.

"Hi, Dr. Zoe," she said softly.

"Hi, Mac," Zoe replied, managing a small smile for the little girl. Meredith and Eric had gone back and forth on whether to allow the children to be in the room when Earl passed but ultimately, Mac, ever observant, had made the decision for them, asking if she could sit with her Pappy when he went to meet Jesus. Wade had protested at first, not thinking it appropriate for small children to watch her grandfather die, but ultimately, it was what Meredith and Eric had felt was the best decision for their children.

"Pappy's gonna go be with Grandmomma now," McKenzie told Zoe. "He was talkin' to her the other day and said he'd see her soon." Zoe didn't know what to say so she offered McKenzie another smile before approaching Earl. She looked at his hospice nurse, Margaret, who was hovering nearby.

"I can't register a blood pressure anymore," she told Zoe quietly. "His pulse is slow and difficult to detect. His breathing has stopped a few times but picks back up. His breathes per minute are minimal, however." Zoe nodded to show her understanding.

"His hands are so cold," Meredith said. She looked at Zoe. "It won't be long now, will it?" Zoe shook her head sadly.

"No," she whispered. Wade entered then, followed by Reverend Mayfair. He hovered by the door, not willing or perhaps not able, to come any closer. Zoe did a quick check of vitals then went to stand by his side while Reverend Mayfair led them in a prayer.

"Wade?" Meredith asked once Reverend Mayfair finished. "Come sit with us." Everyone in the room watched as brother and sister had a silent conversation with their eyes. Finally, with a resolute nod of his head, Wade moved to sit by Earl's other side, taking his hand as well.

"Is he in pain?" Wade asked Zoe. He reminded her of a small child, lost and confused. She shook her head.

"No," she promised. "He's not."

"But his breathing…. That sound…"

"It's the death rattle," Meredith answered. "It's normal. I read about it in the book hospice gave us."

"Saliva is gathering in his throat," Zoe explained. "He doesn't feel a thing, likely isn't aware that he's making any noise at all. If you'd like, I can give him something to lessen the effect." Both Wade and Meredith shook their head in reply, both determined their father wouldn't have any more drugs.

The clock ticked away the minutes, the only sound in the room aside from Earl's erratic breathing. Zoe periodically checked his vitals, each check proving more difficult than the one before it to detect anything at all. Her instincts told her it wouldn't be much longer.

Earl let out another rattling breath but an inhale never followed. Every eye was on her as she made her way back to Earl's side, her feet feeling heavier with each step. She checked for a pulse, any sign of breath. Then she checked again. When she was sure she wouldn't find anything, her eyes sought those of the hospice nurse.

"Time of death," she whispered, glancing at the clock on the wall, "3:37 AM."

Everything after that happened at once. Meredith let out a gut wrenching sob echoed by telltale sniffles from McKenzie who had big, crocodile tears streaming from her blue eyes. Jacob, now awake, wiggled out of his father's lap and crossed the room to his mother while Eric wrapped McKenzie in a hug and wiped away his own tears. Revered Mayfield asked to pray again while Margaret mentioned calling the undertaker. Wade stood and exited the room quickly, slamming the front door behind him. Zoe, unable to follow, wiped away her own tears and used superhuman strength to focus on her role as doctor. The sound of Wade's tires squealing out the driveway would fill her ears for hours to come.

* * *

><p><strong>That was hard to write. REALLY hard. But as I mentioned, also therapeutic. This was my experience. My Papa passed with his entire family surrounding him – his wife, his sister, all of his children, their spouses, his 15 grandchildren, right down to the four year old baby in the family. I'm telling you this to help understand why *I* chose to write these scenes the way I did. <strong>

**As for Tyler, I drew his story from a family friend. Their circumstances and how they lost one of their young children, was quite different, but ultimately the same. **

**I'm so sorry this was so sad. But remember, Wade and Zoe are actually a happy (despite the sadness), functioning couple in my story with no cheating to be had. **

**I hope you liked this. And I hope you'll keep reading. I've only got a handful of updates left, but I have another story I'm dying to start in mind. **

**Thank you so much for reading!**

**Sarah**


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